SIMPLE RESPECT
by TheSilentPartner
Summary: This is a throwback to season 2... from Doppleganger, but there are snippets of other episodes all meshed together in this one. Kate is getting tired of Tony's juvenile stalking and pranks, but not as upset as Gibbs when he's decided he's had enough of his disrespect. When he stakes his claim to Kate, she knows what real respect is. Like it? Check out BEYOND RESPECT... out soon
1. Chapter 1

SIMPLE RESPECT

The work schedule had been pretty hectic lately and it was beginning to wear on Gibbs; not to mention his team. They just pulled a forty hour week with forty hours of overtime. In most corporate offices that would have amounted to a nice paycheck with so much overtime, but not when you worked for the government. Government employees were all salaried on the federal pay scale, depending on rank and seniority. NCIS was no different, they all got paid the same if they worked a forty hour week or an eighty hour week.

Between Tony's non-stop attempts to irritate Kate and McGee's mooning over Abby, who was playing hard to get, they were all wound pretty tight. Gibbs stood in the garage, waiting for the elevator; letting his mind wander over their current case. He couldn't help but grin as he realized he was wound pretty tight himself. Not having had a serious relationship with a woman since in quite a few weeks, Karen Wilkerson, the civilian supervisor over the Bethesda Medical Information Center was proving to be quite a distraction for him.

Gibbs couldn't recall the last time he'd gone out of his way to conduct follow up in person when it was obviously something more suited to his computer geek, Tim McGee. He just couldn't help going back to the BMIC office for even the simplest of questions, just so he could have a chance to talk to Karen again. She was trim and athletic with red hair and sexy as hell. And if he wasn't mistaken, her hints about 'making herself available to him, even on weekends' was a pretty clear indication she was attracted to him as well. He steps into the elevator with the smile still on his face, wondering if he would get a chance to ask her out this weekend. He knew he could come up with some excuse to do another follow up at her office, even though his time would probably be better served following up on some other leads.

As he steps off the elevators, his smile fades as he hears Kate Todd, angrily rebuking her co-worker once again. Kate is standing in front of Tony's desk, one hand on her hip while the other one points angrily at her partner, who sits there looking as angelic as possible. "Tony, I am not going to tell you again. DO NOT access my PDA, my phone, my email, my mail, or my computer! And while you're at it, KEEP YOUR PAWS out of my desk, my purse, my gym bag, my locker and my car!"

"Kate, really? Is that tone of voice necessary?" Tony fiddles with his pen and attempts to look offended, but the corner of his mouth quirks up in a smile. He is enjoying her tirade too much to honestly believe she would put such restrictions on him. "Maybe your quiche didn't sit well with you from breakfast at Nardo's Café this morning... you know, indigestion?"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE I HAD BREAKFAST?! Are you following me now?!" She spins around to storm back to her desk, too angry to see her boss and slams into him, almost making him spill his coffee.

Gibbs' hand shoots out to steady her, but the last thing she wants right now is a man touching her. She shakes off his helping hand and sidesteps him to make her way to her chair. Gibbs just shakes his head, gives DiNozzo a hard stare for pissing her off so early in the morning then continues on to his own desk.

McGee, in his usual naïve manner doesn't realize that he is poking a stick at the hornet's nest as he offers a comment in Tony's defense. "Uhm, your discarded coffee cup in your trash can... has the logo on the side, and the receipt from the café you tossed..."

"YOU'RE GOING THROUGH MY TRASH TOO!?" She grabs her purse and jumps up, needing to get away from these two Neanderthal idiots. McGee suddenly realizes that instead of simple clarifying the situation, he has once again stuck his foot in his mouth and now Kate believes he is involved in Tony's stalking.

"NO! Kate, not me... Tony did that!" He stares after her as she storms out of the room, heading for the locker room and some privacy. He stands up, anxious to clear his name, but doesn't get a chance as their boss finally intervenes.

"McGee... let it go." Gibbs looks from one agent to the other as Tony is slowly making his way to Kate's desk to glance at her PDA as it buzzes again. "DiNozzo! Get back to work!"

Tony hesitates a moment, really wanting to spy on who was calling Kate, but then the cold stare in Gibbs' eyes has him quickly retreats to his own desk with a mumbled excuse of leaving a page on her desk. He knows Gibbs doesn't buy that excuse and quickly sits back down and ducks his head to continue his own work. Gibbs sighs and wonders how he could have gotten stuck with such an immature goof-off like DiNozzo, an innocent like McGee and a woman like Kate who didn't realize that her sex kitten good looks were a major distraction to his team... including himself. He sighs again, hoping this date comes through for this weekend or he might be tempted to do a little 'Kate stalking' too.

Just as he sees the person of his thoughts coming back to her desk, his phone rings. "Yea, Gibbs." He listens for a moment, then snaps the phone shut and stands up with his usual command, "Grab your gear!" They all jump to grab their gear and fall in line behind their boss as he heads for the elevators. "We're heading to Smokey Corners, West Virginia... got a Navy helo down and the crew is missing."

The drive to the scene is rough and bumpy and with the way Gibbs is driving, they all wonder if they'll arrive in one piece. Kate was thankful she'd been chosen to ride shotgun so she could navigate for Gibbs... something they all knew Tony couldn't do. Reading a map while driving with Gibbs always made him car sick... come to think of it, just riding with Gibbs made him car sick. They flew around a curve in the dirt road and came to a screeching halt at the military police check point. Gibbs flashes his credentials and the MP waves him on, indicating the scene is around the next curve in the road.

When they arrive, Tony almost falls out of the car, desperate to have terra firma under his feet again. Kate just chuckles and steps elegantly from the car... after all she was wearing one of her best dresses with brand new heels today. Every man present stops to watch her as she follows her boss towards the scene over the uneven ground. The farmer's field wasn't exactly the right place to be showing off her new three inch heels, but she tried to look dignified in doing it.

"Ma'am, this isn't exactly the Marine Corp Ball. Pretty rough terrain out here in rural farming country... if you know what I mean." The large muscled black man appeared beside her and was obviously one of the military policemen, given the white MP band on his arm. Kate wasn't sure if he was truly concerned for her or making fun of her predicament, but his next comment made it clear, "I could hump you over to the crime scene, Ma'am?"

Kate spins around to confront this man who just made such a rude comment to her. He stops short, not expecting her to turn on him as she stands as tall as she can and gets right in his face, "What did you just say, Marine?!" The MP stands there blinking in shock, not certain what he said to make her so angry. Before he has a chance to respond, Gibbs appears at her side to intervene once again.

"Kate, stand down... it's just a Marine term... 'hump' means to carry." Gibbs turns his cold blue eyes to the MP and catches him quickly removing the smirk from his face. Gibbs comes nose to nose with the large, muscled man and lowers his voice to a deadly whisper, "Isn't that right... Sergeant Millner? You did not in any way just make an inappropriate comment to this NCIS Federal agent, did you?"

"No, Sir! My apologies, Ma'am!" He does an abrupt about face and quickly heads back to his post.

Gibbs turns back to face Kate, who has the decency to blush after her misunderstanding. Gibbs finds himself holding back a smirk of his own at her obvious embarrassment; thinking she couldn't look more adorable if she tried. He clears his throat and then looks down at her feet, wondering why she got so dressed up each day when she knew they were likely to get called out on scenes like this. Pointing to the command post, which was located on the relatively hard packed dirt road, "Kate, check with the CO at the command post and get all the details while we 'hump' our gear out to the field to check out the helo."

Kate quickly nods and keeps her eyes down, too embarrassed to even look at Gibbs for fear of seeing him laughing at her too. Gibbs watches her go, appreciating the sway of her hips before sighing again and turning his attention back to the crime scene at hand. They are all soon busy with this new case and the day moves along smoothly as they work as a team.

On their way back to town they stop to pick up some food, but since the case is fresh they eat in the car on the way. Tony and Kate now have the back seat while McGee is relegated to shotgun, by them both. Having previously experienced eating in the car while Gibbs is driving they know McGee has the impossible task of trying to read the map, hold his food, hold Gibbs' food and somehow manage not to make a mess of it all.

Tony and Kate are silent as they eat, trying their best not to be flung from door to door as Gibbs takes the country roads like an off-road racer. On one such curve, Tony loses his balance and tries to grab anything he can to keep from toppling onto Kate. When the car rights itself, he realizes his french-fries have spilled all over the seat. Without a second thought, Tony reaches down between Kate's thighs to scoop up some french-fries that landed there.

A sudden loud slap breaks the silence in the car as Kate smacks DiNozzo's hand as he is about to reach back between her thighs for more fries. "Tony! What the hell are you doing!?"

"What? I dropped my fries... I was just grabbing them." He tries to look innocent, but once again his smirk gives his evil intentions away. He smiles and pops some fries into his mouth, moaning as if savoring the fries he recovered from between her legs.

"EEWWW! You are getting way to comfortable in my personal space, Tony! How dare you think you can grope me...!" She quickly elbows him in the ribs, causing him to gasp in pain as he doubles over with a french-fry hanging out of his mouth. Seeing him in pain, she smiles with satisfaction and scoots across the seat, as far from him as she can get. When her eyes come up, she meets Gibbs' eyes in rear view mirror and the humor in his eyes is obvious as he gives her a wink and then turns his attention back to the road.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

By the time they get back to the office from West Virginia, it is late in the afternoon. Gibbs glances at his watch, wondering if he could fit in a quick follow up over at the Bethesda Medical Information office before Karen quit for the day. He really wanted to ask her if she was free this weekend and his chances were better if he gave her a couple days notice to plan. Gibbs had been married four times and he knew women did not appreciate having plans sprung on them at the last minute. They needed extra time to plan their outfit, their preparation, their hair and God only knows what else.

He looks around at his team, just settling into their desks with tired relief on their faces. Then his gaze falls to the dolly full of evidence boxes delivered to their office while they were out. He scans the inventory sheet and hands it to Kate, "Kate, see that this evidence gets logged in and processed before you three call it a night. I've got one..."

"Gibbs, can I see you for a minute, please." Gibbs stops to look up at Director Vance, leaning on the railing from the floor above the bull pen. He gives one last glance at Kate, points to the boxes on the dolly and then heads for the stairs, following his boss back into his office to brief him on the West Virginia case. The meeting lasts only a few minutes and then Gibbs is on his way back down the stairs, still intent on making it over to Bethesda before Karen takes off for the day.

Gibbs stops on the landing above DiNozzo's desk, watching as Kate struggles to unload the heavy boxes from the dolly by herself. In her skirt and heels, the task is made harder; especially since Tony is sitting at his desk, ogling her ass and not lifting a finger to help her. Kate groans softly as she sets another heavy box on the stack she has made and angrily snaps at her lazy co-worker. "You know, you could help me with these boxes... instead of gawking at my ass, Tony!"

"I could, but I wouldn't want to risk an E.E.O.C. complaint by implying you're not capable of lifting those heavy boxes yourself, Kate." He grins at her frustrated glare, but then realizes they are no longer alone when a voice above his head brings him sharply to his feet.

"You're gonna risk a pink slip in about ten seconds if you don't get off your ass and help her, DiNozzo!" Gibbs continues down the stairs and comes to stand by as DiNozzo now hurries to lift and stack the remaining boxes as Kate takes a welcome break. Gibbs waits until he has them all off the cart and stacked, then gives his senior agent a hard head slap before issuing his next order. "Tony, I want those boxes labeled and stored in the evidence room before you leave... and I want to make myself clear... YOU are to do the labeling and storing, is that understood?!" DiNozzo ducks from the hard slap and then nods his head quickly to let him know he understands. Gibbs turns to Kate and smiles, "Kate, good work today. " He takes the inventory out of her hands and thrusts it into Tony's before turning to hurry towards the elevator before either of them can comment.

Across town at Bethesda Information Center, Gibbs strides in like a man on a mission. It is five minutes to six and he's hoping Karen isn't the type of supervisor to knock off a few minutes early to beat the traffic. He enters her office, but it is empty. A quick scan of the room notes her purse and jacket are still there so he heads to the computer lab to see if she is in there. He pauses in the doorway when he sees her, bent over one of the desks as she scans the screen of one of her employees' computers. He can't help letting his eyes drift over her slim form, encased in a pencil skirt with a teasing slit up the back. It reminds him of Kate, encased in just such a tight, form fitting skirt. Her legs were perhaps more shapely than Karen's, but just as long. With a shake of his head, he quickly banishes thoughts of Kate from his mind before she derails his weekend plans.

When she stands up, she turns to see Gibbs watching her with a frown on his face. "Special Agent Gibbs... you're back. Was there a problem with the files we sent over to your office?" She knows there wasn't, but can't think of any legitimate reason for him to be back in her office again. She walks towards him and he smiles with a slight jerk of his head, telling her to follow him out into the hall where they can talk in private.

"Nothing wrong with the files you sent over... haven't even had a chance to look at them yet. Just got back from rural West Virginia." He places his hand on the small of her back as he escorts her back towards her office. "You have a few minutes?"

"Yes, for you. I told you I would make myself available to you... any time." He meets her eyes as they enter her office and he smiles as he turns to close the door.

"Good... cause I was wondering... do you like boats?" His question takes her by surprise and she stops and turns back to face him, wondering where that came from. The look she sees in his eyes lets her know this is personal for him.

She tilts her head to the side and plays along, "Sail or power boats?"

"Sail boats."

"I like to sail... do you want me to go sailing with you, Agent Gibbs?" He takes a step closer and stops when they are mere inches apart. He studies her for a long moment, feeling his pulse pounding through his veins as her soft silky perfume reaches him.

"I have a boat, but I'm not done building it yet... it's in my basement." He gives her a moment to process this information and when her mouth quirks up into a smile he leans in even closer and adds, "I'd like to show it to you... this weekend."

Her breath catches in her throat at the implications of his words. He was direct, she had to say that about this strong, silent federal agent. She slowly lets one hand slide up his chest, coming to rest over his heart where she can feel it pounding strongly. She lifts her eyes to meet his and leans in just enough to bring their lips together briefly as she gives him her answer. "Say Saturday? Unless you'll be working the weekend?"

Gibbs takes a moment to reach up and gently run a strand of her hair between his fingers. Then his hand curls around her neck, drawing her mouth up to his in a slow, gentle kiss. She sighs as she reaches up to return his caress, but he pulls away much too soon, leaving her own heart pounding erratically. "I'll be off Saturday, don't you worry." He gives her another kiss, then backs away as he reaches back for the door knob, letting himself out without ever breaking eye contact with her. Just as he is about to close the door, he hesitates and asks, "You like Thai food?" With her nod and happy smile he winks at her and closes the door. He walks down the hallway to the exit with a bit more pep in his step than before. This was going to be a good weekend if those two little kisses were any indication. Now all he had to do was get through Friday, wrap up these two cases they were working and he'd be all set for the weekend.

Friday morning arrived with good news and bad news. The good news was they had located the two marine helo pilots who had gone missing in Smokey Corners, West Virginia. Apparently one pilot had received a disturbing message from his girlfriend, which he felt was urgent enough to warrant the misappropriation of a Marine helicopter to get him home as soon as possible. His co-pilot, not wanting to be a third wheel had offered to lay low off base for the weekend until his partner got his family issues resolved and got back to base. Hasty decisions were never a good idea and it proved even worse for these two, who never stopped to think the helo would be reported missing when he dropped off the radar in rural West Virginia.

The bad news was they were still trying to locate the Petty Officer who was using the Bethesda's Medical Information Center computers to hide his embezzlement of narcotics through bogus prescriptions. They had managed to find his roommate, but he couldn't provide any further information. With the case at a dead end momentarily, Gibbs thought it would be a good time to have some team tactics training... maybe burn off a little steam after their stressful week. He knew he needed to bring his tension level down a few notches before his date with Karen or he wouldn't be able to control himself.

The team always grumbled about training and mandatory exercise time in the Navy Yard's gym, but he knew they secretly enjoyed the opportunity to relax and have some fun now and then. It is mid-morning and they are all at the gym, warming up in their own ways before the training begins. Gibbs is the last one to arrive and scanning through the others present, he sees his team at the far side, near the grappling mats. As he does so often, he walks up behind Tony and Tim without them being aware of his presence. He stops as he overhears them talking and a frown creases his brow as they stare at Kate doing her yoga warm up routine a short distance away. Jealousy flares in his gut; Gibbs' immediate reaction whenever another man showed any interest in Kate.

" Did I tell you, Probie? She's like crazy flexible... look at her!" As he speaks, Tony tilts his head to one side, following Kate's graceful motions with a leering smile and a low groan.

McGee also tilts his head slowly to one side, mimicking Tony, with his eyes glued to Kate's ass. "She is really limber... wow, I didn't know that position was even possible." As Kate continues to stretch, she ignores her onlookers, knowing it will only make matters worse if she confronts them. The situation with Tony had started out like sibling banter, but now it had developed into full blown sexual harassment and Kate knew it was partly her fault. She had allowed it to go on so long that now whenever she tried to make him stop, he just thought she was teasing him. She sighs in frustration, not sure what to do about it now and moves to another position. Both agents heads slowly track her movements to the other side.

"Man... I would love to get my hands on... aaahhh!" With a suddenness of a striking tiger, Gibbs steps up, grabs DiNozzo by the arm, plants his right leg behind him and slams the younger man down to the mat on his back. With the wind knocked out of him and Gibbs is kneeling on his chest with his knee pressed into Tony's windpipe, he is just barely able to gasp for air.

The anger flashing in Gibbs' eyes is more than enough to keep Tony perfectly still on the ground, knowing Gibbs is capable of crushing his windpipe in one move. Gibbs curls his lip back in a snarl as he fights to control his anger at Tony's callous treatment of Kate. Gibbs has been trying to ignore his attitude to Kate, letting her handle him on her own, but this was too much and it has gone on long enough. "Do you know how far up your ass my foot is gonna be if I EVER hear you talk like that about Kate again?!"

"Aaahhh... yes... boss... but..." Tony gasps for air as Gibbs lifts his knee just enough to allow him to gasp for air and speak. McGee is standing nearby, stunned at the violent appearance of their boss. He knows they were overheard and wonders if he is next, but Gibbs keeps his attention focused on Tony as he leans his weight onto the younger man's chest and glares down at him.

"But what!?"

"But... boss... its Kate." Tony gives him his best smile, hoping this explains everything. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd made some kind of sexual comment to Kate. They were always at it, him dishing it out and Kate giving it right back to him.

Gibbs lowers his voice to a deadly whisper, "Exactly, DiNozzo. It is Kate... and yes, she's a strong and independent woman. She's also highly trained, skilled federal agent who was handpicked to protect the president of the United States! Do you really think your immature boyish crush gives you the right to sexually harass, stalk and torment her every minute of every day with your teen-age antics!?"

"Uhm, no, boss... I guess not." He stares up into the flushed face of his very irate boss and knows he's finally pushed the limit too far. He honestly didn't think he was doing anything wrong, and makes one last attempt to explain. "But, Kate... she doesn't mind... I mean, she gives it right back to me. Every day..."

"What I hear EVERY DAY is Kate telling you to stop, to leave her alone, to grow up and be more professional, DiNozzo! I see a professional agent trying her hardest to deal with your immature shit, while still trying to maintain a workable relationship... because she has no choice!" He stops and rocks back on his heels a little bit, relieving the pressure on DiNozzo's chest as he takes a deep breath to control his anger before he continues. "I am warning you, Tony, stay the hell away from Kate, unless it's in the official performance of your duties or you'll have to answer to me... do I make myself clear?!"

He doesn't wait for an answer as he suddenly stands up, bouncing his knees off DiNozzo's chest and causing him to groan once more. He momentarily glares over at McGee who is frozen in place. He points one finger at the young, innocent agent and snarls, "And you, McGee... I expected better out of you. Don't ever let me catch you doing this again... ever!"

"No boss... no, it won't ever happen again!" McGee instinctively steps back as Gibbs steps over Tony's prone body, but doesn't move fast enough to avoid the head slap his boss delivers before walking away from them. McGee stands there chastised and mortified that Gibbs caught them ogling Kate. He looks down to Tony, who is equally shocked at the reprimand, but hides it behind his characteristic humor.

"Probie... you really think Gibbs meant that... the ever part? I mean... come on, its Kate, right?" He grins up at his young partner, but gets only an angry glare in return as McGee shakes his head in disgust and walks away to go work out on his own.

Gibbs takes several deep calming breaths as he walks over to where Kate is now standing. The anger is still flashing in his eyes as he sighs inwardly, realizing the root of his anger had been his ever growing feelings for Agent Todd. Normally he wouldn't have jumped down another guy's throat for ogling a pretty woman, but with Kate it was different. He knew Kate better than he wanted to admit and he knew how much Tony's disrespect hurt her. She has worked hard to make it in the boy's club of the military world and had excelled. She had risen above the men who believed she could only succeed on her back; she had shown them all that she was better than them, but at what cost. As he approaches he can see it in her eyes... she knew he had felt the need to step in on her behalf. Kate hated it when men thought she was some china doll that needed protecting, but Gibbs didn't care. He could not allow any man to treat her with such disrespect.

Kate is strapping on protective half gloves in preparation for her sparring match in the ring as part of their training. Gibbs casually stops beside her and reaches for a pair of gloves for himself. "You're in the ring with me, Kate. Come on, I need to work off some stress."

He hops up onto the platform and slips between the ropes to await his opponent. They have sparred many times and he knows she was the kick boxing champion; two years running at the Secret Service. He loves sparring with her because she was not only a talented fighter, but graceful as well. Kate enters the ring, strapping on her padded helmet as she gives Gibbs a knowing look.

"Rather go a few rounds with Tony... to be honest."

"I know, but I can't afford to have him off work with any broken bones. Me, I'm a bit tougher than he is... you can take your frustrations out on me."

Their eyes meet and she smiles at him and with a slight nod of her head begins to circle around her opponent, looking for an opening. It takes them a few minutes to loosen up and get into it, but before long they have drawn a crowd to watch as the match intensifies. Gibbs has learned from earlier matches with Kate that she is quick and lethal if given the opening. He also learned that holding back because she was a woman... was a sure way to piss her off and then she was brutal in the ring.

They are working up a good sweat now, breathing hard as they stalk each other with strikes, kicks and swift take downs. Kate has gotten in several good maneuvers and the crowd is calling out encouragement, "Give it to the boss"' and "Show him who's boss, Kate." Tony and McGee have also wandered over to watch, but after their earlier rebuke, they remain silent.

Gibbs manages to get in a good roundhouse kick to Kate's body, which she blocks with her arm, but it still sends her flying onto her back in the ring. Hearing her groan, Gibbs stops momentarily wondering if he actually hurt her by using too much force. He comes to stand over her, bending at the waist as he looks into her eyes and breathlessly pants, "You okay, Kate?"

Kate grins up at him, her ploy working perfectly as Gibbs has just fallen into her trap. With speed and a flexibility that has the others' mouths hanging open, Kate arches her hips up off the mat, catching Gibbs around the upper torso and trapping both his arms as she clamps her legs together and twists her body. Gibbs is caught off guard and groans as he is slammed down to the mat on his back, his body held in the strong, vise like grip of her thighs. He tries to twist out of her hold, but only manages to turn in her grip so he can see her grinning down at him triumphantly. He suddenly realizes he doesn't want to escape this hold and relaxes his body as his left hand loudly taps the mat three times.

The crowd erupts in cheers as Gibbs concedes defeat and Kate grins as they call out their congratulations for beating Gibbs into submission. Gibbs can't help but laugh at the good natured comments thrown his way as well. Within a few minutes, the crowd has dispersed and Gibbs and Kate are left alone in the ring. She has relaxed her grip around his torso, expecting him to sit up, but he merely settles back with his head resting on her knee. She feels a warmth spread through her at the intimate contact, but tries to hide the effect Gibbs has on her. She cocks her head to one side and studies him for a long moment.

"Did you let me win, Gibbs?" She holds his gaze for several seconds.

A slow smile spreads across his face, "Hell yea... I'll let you win every time if I end up here." His head rolls to the right until he softly nips at the black spandex covering her thigh with his teeth.

A thrill of excitement suddenly explodes in Kate's belly, causing a gasp to escape her. Luckily, no one is paying attention to them and Gibbs is the only one to see her reaction. She quickly covers it up and uses her free leg against his hip to push him away from her. Gibbs realizes he is dangerously close to letting her see his true feelings so he chuckles and quickly gets to his feet. He then turns back to offer her a hand in getting up. As she comes face to face with him again, she has her emotions under control. She may be sexually attracted to her hard core boss, but she also loves him for his gentle side as well.

She uses her gloved hand to gently punch him in the gut. "Thanks, Gibbs... for earlier. "

He just smiles and holds her eyes for a long moment before he nods and turns away to remove his gloves and answer his phone. Kate heads to the opposite corner to do the same. A moment later, Gibbs snaps his phone shut and calls out to his team, "DiNozzo, McGee! Training day's over... they found the Petty Officer from Bethesda... lying in a ravine at Rock Creek Park. Let's go!"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III

Their week ended on a good note, both cases were pretty much wrapped up... with only a few pieces of evidence from Rock Creek Park to be processed by the lab. Gibbs felt bad for having to knock DiNozzo down a few pegs in front of the others, but if it helped get it through his thick skull that he needed to grow up... well then it was worth it. His sparring in the ring with Kate had definitely been worth it.

He smiles as he recalls how she tricked him into submission and how they had ended the match. Just thinking about lying there between her legs, her faint scent wafting to him... Gibbs feels his cock twitch again in response. He still can't believe he'd nipped her thigh. In some way that made him just as bad as DiNozzo, but since Kate hadn't ripped his head off for doing it; maybe Kate's intolerance for men's advances was... selective. Gibbs sighs and gives himself a mental head slap, then turns his attention back to the woman seated beside him in his car.

He'd taken Karen out to dinner and now they were headed back to his house... and if her responses earlier was any indication, he needed to get Kate out of his head and fast. While waiting for their dinner order to arrive, Karen slid around the horseshoe booth until she was next to him. She snuggled close as her hand slid slowly up his thigh. Gibbs liked to be the one in control, but it had been a while for him and after this past week, he really needed the release Karen was offering. When her hand began to stroke his crotch, he laid his hand over hers, stilling her movement and gently slid her hand back down to his knee. Confusion momentarily flitted across her face wondering if she had somehow misread his intentions. Gibbs had smiled and leaned in to take her in a slow, searching kiss that took her breath away and promised so much more.

Now, as he pulls into his driveway, Gibbs looks over at her knowing she is a foregone conclusion and there would be very little need for conversation. He comes around to help her out and escorts her inside, hand in hand as he leads her into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers. She looks around curiously, still not sure how to take this man of few words. She glances towards the stairs, hoping their next stop is going to be the bedroom. Instead, Gibbs leads her down to the basement where she gasps in surprise when she sees the half finished hull of a sailboat.

"Oh! You really are building a sailboat in your basement." She slowly walks around the boat, touching the wood framing as she examines his work. Gibbs strolls over to the only source of electricity in the room and snaps on a small radio so soothing jazz now fills the room. When he returns to her, he taps his beer bottle against hers as he smiles down at her.

"You're a strange man, Jethro." She looks around the basement critically, noting it was not exactly the place she expected to be taken on her date. Gibbs just grins and takes a large swig of his beer before setting his bottle aside. He watches as she takes a drink as well, then sets her bottle beside his. Her hands come to rest on his chest, feeling the hard wall of muscle as his hands frame her face.

"You have no idea... come here."

She does as he instructs and then moans as his hands glide around into her hair, drawing her mouth to his in slow teasing kisses. When she immediately tries to deepen the kiss, he backs off. With an impatient moan, she suddenly reaches up to nip his lower lip and holds it between her teeth. Their eyes meet and he can see the desire as he once again lowers his mouth to hers, this time in a harsh, demanding kiss that takes her breath away. His tongue delves deeply in search of hers as his hands move down to cup her ass, holding her hard against his hips so she can feel the evidence of his desire.

After several minutes, she is aching to move things along. Her hands come down to tug at his shirt tail as she tries desperately to get at his body. Gibbs feels the urgency in her kiss becoming more frantic, trying to rush the moment and Gibbs finally pulls back, looking down into her desperate eyes as he huskily asks, "Hey, what's the hurry?"

"You're driving me crazy, Jethro..." She pants softly as her hands now glide down over the zipper of his jeans. He resists her efforts to undo his belt as his hands cover hers to stop them. He gives her a soft kiss before easing her back again. He reaches around her for his beer, slowly bringing it to his lips as she cuddles in close to him, rubbing herself along his thigh, "So... what's the deal... are we gonna move this along or what?" She gives him a smile and glides her hand lovingly over the hard bulge in his pants. "It's not like you're not ready."

Gibbs feels his desire go from a boil to a simmer at her impatience. He sighs and wonders if the art of making love has been lost. Everyone was in such a hurry to fuck each other that they've forgotten that the best part was the anticipation... building up slowly, over and over again until the actual moment turns into something much more spectacular than just sex. He hides his irritation and smiles slowly at her. "You don't like baseball, do you?"

Her eyes show her confusion as to what sports has to do with their current discussion, but she tries to keep him on track for what she wants. "I like home runs... if that 's what you're getting at?"

"Baseball is a game of patience, strategy and skillful maneuvers, waiting for just the right moment... then sending in the big hitter to slam one out of the park. That's why men love baseball so much... its full of hidden meanings."

"You a grand slam hitter, Jethro? Cause I'm ready to call in the big hitter... if you know what I mean." They stand there staring into each other's eyes for a long moment, then Gibbs slowly lowers his head to hers, taking her in a deep, plundering kiss as he tries to once again lose himself in the moment. He barely gives her time to breathe as his tongue delves in repeatedly to plunder her sweetness. The ringing of his cell phone finally breaks through his concentration and Gibbs reluctantly pulls back, giving her one last gentle kiss before he steps back.

He holds up one finger, motioning her to stay right there as he clears his throat and huskily answers the insistent ringing. "Aahh, yea...Gibbs... this better be important!"

He doesn't take his eyes off Karen as she now sips her beer and then silently motions to the bottle. Gibbs nods and watches as she brings his bottle to him. She stands nearby, sipping hers slowly as she waits for the call to end. His expression stays the same, but he stiffens as he listens the lab person filling him in on the results of cigarettes found at the scene in Rock Creek Park. His eyes finally leave Karen's as he glances down at her open purse, seeing a pack of Lama's Cigarettes in plain sight. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, cursing his bad luck as he ends the call. Snapping his phone closed he tosses it onto the counter and runs a hand slowly down over his face.

"Something wrong?" Karen picks up on his tension as he takes a long drink, draining his beer as he holds her gaze over the rim. He had been only moments away from becoming carnally involved with this woman. He still has a throbbing erection, but he knows that will never happen now. He watches as she reaches for the offending pack of smokes and lights up one. "Jethro, what is it?"

"The lab report. The DNA found on the cigarette butts at Rock Creek Park... they were Lama brand... and the DNA was from a female." He slowly turns around and grabs a latex glove and a zip lock bag before turning back to her with a sad smile. "And I'm pretty sure that DNA is gonna be a match to the DNA on this cigarette, right?" He takes the cigarette gently out of her hand, snubs out the flame and drops it into the baggie. When he looks back up, she still hasn't moved, her eyes locked on him in stunned silence. He sighs sadly and uses his non-gloved hand to gently stroke her cheek, "I hope I'm wrong about the results, Karen... I really do."

He leans in to kiss her one more time, a long, lingering caress of regret because they both know there won't be any second chances for them. When he pulls back, he closes his fingers around her upper arm and escorts her back upstairs for the drive to the Navy Yard and the interrogation room. He doesn't bother calling in the rest of his team... let them have their time off. Maybe they can have some sort of a decent weekend... even if his will now be spent drowning his self-anger in bourbon. His weekend has been shot to hell with the realization that he'd been so distracted lately that he'd almost taken a murder suspect to his bed just to try and get some relief from his aching need for the woman he really wants... Caitlin Todd.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

By the time Gibbs was done with the interrogation of civilian supervisor, Karen Wilkerson, she had confessed to the murder of her employee. She claims he tried to blackmail her, but the evidence showed she was the one who found out about his embezzlement scheme and tried to blackmail him for part of the action. When he refused to go along, she shot him at point blank range in the back of the head.

Gibbs still can't believe he was so distracted by her tight skirt and sassy attitude towards him that he didn't see that she could be a prime suspect. She had batted her eyes at him, rubbed up against him in just the right 'accidental touch', laid her arm on his suggestively and kept him following her like a love sick puppy. Well, there was truth to that... he was love sick, but not for Karen Wilkerson. He sits in his car, idling at the exit to the Navy Yard's guard shack. He is too angry with himself to go home so he curses under his breath, guns the engine and jerks the wheel to the left. Before he knows it, he is at the local bar where all the agents went to blow off steam after work. It was already ten o'clock, so the chances of running into anyone from the office doing happy hour was pretty slim.

He parks out back, heads in through the alley door and stops just inside to let his eyes adjust to the darkened room. The music is thumping, but at least it was old rock that soothes his tortured soul. He finds a stool by the end of the bar near the back door and holds up a hand to the bartender. Rosie was the ancient woman working behind the bar and she had to be in her eighties. She had been working this bar when Gibbs was a green probationary agent himself. She knew all the agents, all the top brass and even managed to keep her nose into all the scuttlebutt racing around this town. She moves slowly down the bar, grabbing two glasses and a bottle of the good bourbon from behind the bar on her way. "Jethro Gibbs, where you been keeping yourself, boy?"

He grins at the greeting, knowing she's the only one who would dare call him, 'boy', because she treated him like her long lost son. She hoists herself up onto a stool on her side of the bar and gives a heavy sigh as she sets the bottle and glasses before them. Gibbs takes the bottle, pours them each a finger of bourbon and then slides her glass over to her as he replies, "Been busy, Rosie. You know how it is at the Navy Yard."

"Heard you got divorced again... when are you ever gonna learn, son?" She takes a sip of her drink and then leans in closer to him so they can talk over the music. Gibbs chuckles and takes a swig of his drink before he leans in and looks her directly in the eye, knowing she has some bit of sage advice to give him. "Jethro, you're a decent man... a principled man and I respect that... but, son, you don't have to marry every girl you take to bed... that ain't real love."

Gibbs can't help but throw his head back and laugh at her serious advice and the frown on her face. He finally shakes his head, downs the rest of his drink and reaches over to pat her wrinkled arm, "Rosie, my love, if I do marry again, I wouldn't consider anyone but you."

She blushes and gives him a happy grin, showing off her dentures as she pats his hand. He is just teasing her, but she's glad she has been able to make him laugh. Most of the time, Jethro was too serious and she'd never been able to find out what was eating at his soul. She shoves the bottle towards him and hops off her stool as she gets back to work, "That one's on the house, Jethro... just because you made an old woman blush."

Gibbs feels better already, liking the gritty atmosphere and it was always good to see Rosie again. She was the salt of the earth and always made any problem seem simple when she doled out her advice. He refills his glass and leans back against the wall as he surveys the bar and the crowd of people milling around. Some were playing pool, others shooting darts, but most were just standing around talking. A few who had been lucky enough to get a booth were cuddling with their dates, hoping to get lucky.

He just wished he knew what to do about Kate... his employee and if he is being honest, the reason for his growing frustration lately. Normally he had no problem abiding by his rules... and number twelve was pretty simple. Don't date a co-worker. He'd held that rule ever since his brief affair with Jenny Sheppard back when they had been stationed in Paris as young agents. When she ended it, he had come up with rule twelve to keep him from making such a painful mistake again.

He downs his bourbon again, letting the burn linger in his throat to help clear his head of the images of his head lying on Kate's leg. He is just pouring himself another shot when he catches a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. He lifts his glass to drink, but stops half way to this mouth as he focuses on the object of his thoughts. He can't believe it's her... maybe he was imagining things since he'd been thinking about her. He blinks and looks again, but what he sees next leaves him in no doubt that it really is Kate across the room, trying to untangle herself from some big slobbering ape of a man in a very expensive suit.

Kate is bent backwards, trying to avoid the wet, slobbering kisses of the man who has her wrapped up in his arms. She is pushing against him trying to get away, but the man is obviously strong and just drunk enough he isn't taking the hint to back off. Kate has had a few drinks, but is by no means drunk and is trying to maintain her dignity as she tries to reason with him, "Okay, Romeo... time to take a breather! John! I'm serious, enough!"

The man is ignoring her and Kate realizes he isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants. His hand slides possessively down her back to tightly grip her ass as he thrusts her roughly against his hips. Kate has had enough and uses her training to stomp down on his instep with her spiked heel. As he jerks back in pain, she then brings one hand up to shove his arms away from her, "Back off, John! I said enough!"

John staggers slightly, stunned by her assault and suddenly realizing that other bar patrons are watching the scene. The men are looking at him with skepticism that he let a little bit of a woman like Kate get the better of him. He suddenly snags her arm, jerking her back towards him as he angrily growls, "Look, Kate... you agreed to this date, so don't turn into a cock teaser now!"

"Consider this date over, pal. I'm outta here." Kate's bravado is only on the surface because the pain of his harsh grip has her fearing what he might do next. Her responses are dulled just enough that she doesn't react in time as his other hand suddenly slashes out to slap her across the face. The loud crack causes the bar to fall instantly silent as Kate's head snaps back from the force. She is momentarily stunned, but recovers quickly as adrenalin kicks in and she suddenly rips both arms up and around, breaking his grip. The anger flashing in her eyes should have been a warning, but John is just too drunk to realize the danger he is in. He takes one step towards her, but never gets any closer as he is suddenly flipped backwards over a table by a rock hard fist to his nose.

Kate had been ready to strike, but out of nowhere Gibbs has appeared and is now pummeling the man who puts up an awkward attempt to fight. Gibbs' jabs are quick and accurate, putting him out cold on the floor in a matter of seconds. Standing over him with one foot on his chest and his fist cocked back and ready, Gibbs finally stops, realizing the man is no longer a threat. He is tempted to continue beating the man, but then looks around at the people watching him and lets his fist come down as he stands up and growls, "The lady said no."

He turns around to face Kate, seeing the stunned look in her eyes at his sudden appearance. He scans her face, noticing the red welt where this creep slapped her. He takes a step towards her with his hand raised to examine her injury, but Kate is still in fight or flight mode and her hand flies up to intercept him. Gibbs easily turns his hand, grabbing hers gently, "Kate... it's all right. I'm here now, come on... come on..."

She suddenly realizes what he is saying and focuses on him as her fingers curl around his and she lets out a shaky breath. Gibbs puts one arm gently around her shoulders and leads her towards the back of the bar where Rosie is waiting with her hands on her hips. Gibbs isn't sure if she's upset with him, but shrugs, "Sorry, Rosie... it couldn't be helped."

"I know, Jethro... you see to Kate now. I'll take care of that creep." She walks past the two with a gentle pat to Kate's arm. She moves to stand over the still unconscious man on the floor before turning to a couple of her regular customers with a wave at the man's body, "You two... drag this trash out to the sidewalk." They quickly obey, grabbing John by the arms and dragging him out the front door. Rosie then goes to the booth where Kate had been sitting and retrieves her purse; bringing it back to where Kate is sitting on his bar stool in the corner. She hands it to her with a smile and then returns behind the bar to give them some privacy.

Kate has her head bowed, mortified that she allowed that ape to manhandle her like that... but even more so that of all the people in the world, it had to be Gibbs who saw it. She has her hands tightly fisted in her lap, trying to still their shaking. Then a glass of bourbon appears in her line of sight with a gentle suggestion from her boss, "Drink this, it'll help."

"No thank you." Her voice is barely audible, but Gibbs doesn't take no for an answer. He presses the glass into her hand and then reaches around her to grab one for himself. After a moment, he notices the glass slowly raise to her lips and he smiles. A moment later she holds out the glass and he refills it. She finishes the second shot of bourbon, coughs a little bit and then finally has the courage to look at her boss.

"Gibbs..." She can't continue as her eyes begin to cloud with tears. She is about to lower her head again, but his gentle finger under her chin stops her. He studies her cheek for a moment and then glides his thumb slowly along her cheek.

"Come on, Kate. Let me take you home." He makes no move to leave, holding her gaze until she smiles shakily and nods her consent. Then she slips off the barstool and allows Gibbs to lead her out the back door to his car.

Gibbs is, as always a gentleman, as he comes around to help her from the car. Kate would normally not allow this, but tonight, she just isn't up to playing the macho in-control woman. At her door, her hand shakes as she tries to unlock the door and after a few tries, holds out her keys to him. He makes quick work of the door lock and escorts her inside without a word. The keys and her purse are set aside and she moves on autopilot to the kitchen.

It was strange, having Gibbs in her home. He'd only been there once before and that was when she was sick and he'd brought her some soup, washed the dishes and made sure she was all right. Now, it appeared he was back to fulfill his role as her guardian angel. She stands for a moment staring at the coffee pot, but not seeing it as the events of the evening suddenly hit her.

"Men are fucking PIGS!" She is angry at John, angry at herself, mortified that Gibbs will now always see her as this weak female who needs to be rescued... as all of her stress from the past few weeks comes to a head, she can no longer hold back the tears.

Gibbs stands at the entrance to the kitchen watching her slim shoulders tremble as she cries silently. He knows she doesn't want him to see her like this, but right now he can't resist comforting her. "Not all men, Kate... not all men." He rests his hands on her shoulders and gently turns her around, enveloping her in a gentle hug.

The instant his arms close around her, she fists her hands in his shirt and sobs softly, her tears soaking into his shoulder as he slowly strokes her hair. He lets her get it all out of her system until her tears have dried, but she is still huddled in his arms with her head resting on his chest. "I can take care of myself." Her soft words are at the same time defiant and tentative as if she is trying to convince herself.

"I know you can, but you don't have to... not all the time. Come sit down while I make us some coffee, okay." He gently leads her into the living room and she wilts onto the soft leather sofa as if she has no more strength left in her. He gives her a gentle smile, realizing the bourbon has hit her and then returns to the kitchen to start the coffee.

She is lost in her own thoughts and when he returns a few minutes later with two steaming cups, she looks at him as if just realizing he was there. "Gibbs, Why can't men be decent? Why all the crude comments and the constant groping?"

He sits down beside her and slowly sips his coffee before he answers. He looks her in the eye and knows she needs full honesty tonight, so he gives it to her. "Not all men are like that, but you chose to work in a field where being macho is almost a prerequisite, Kate. Military, law enforcement, government... it's all about power and being king of the hill. You've worked very hard to overcome the stereo-type of a woman in this field. You've proven that you can hold your own with the guys, even show us up from time to time." He grins as her eyes meet his and she remembers their sparring match yesterday.

She lowers her eyes and sips her coffee, feeling her breath catch as a bolt of desire drops right through her core at the memory. She keeps her eyes on her cup as she continues to vent her frustrations. "Why can't they just like me for 'me'? Am I so horrible? They treat me like one of the guys... with crude comments and rude gestures. I'm expected to ignore it because I'm part of the boys club, but at the same time I'm fare game for their sexual pursuits, innuendos, unwanted advances... I'm not respected no matter what I accomplish."

Gibbs puts his cup down and turns to face her, leaning back against the sofa as his arm comes to curve around her shoulders, pulling her back with him into a loose embrace. He knows what she says is true because he's watched her struggle through that attitude every day. Tony, McGee, other agents, military men they encounter, and even that Capitol Hill pretty boy from tonight. He sighs and lifts her chin with a finger when she won't look at him again. "Kate, you want the truth?"

She studies him for a moment, nods her head and tries to ignore the heat radiating off his body. She really does want the truth because she's been fighting this uphill battle for ten years and she was worn out.

"The truth is, you're tough, you're smarter than most men, you're confident and you can hold your own in verbal sparring... and... you're hot as hell, Kate." Her mouth drops open at his comment and she tenses as if to move away from him. Gibbs immediately tightens his arm to keep her in place as he rushes to explain. "No, now don't rip my head off. I mean that with every respect to you. The truth is, you're all those things and you show off your 'assets' every day with the dresses, the heels... that's a very potent combination. Most men can't handle it because they're intimidated as hell."

"Most? Try all men... all men are bastards!" She lets her frustration and anger vent again and Gibbs just watches her with a slight smile on his face as her hand comes up to push gently against his chest. "And what are you laughing at? You can be a bastard too, Gibbs."

He chuckles and nods in agreement, "Yea, I can... I admit, my ex-wives were angry enough to call me a bastard when they left... each and every one of them. But it wasn't because I treated them badly. It was because I live by a set of principles and when things happen, I can't just ignore them. That's what ended my marriages, Kate. If I'm guilty of anything it's being too strict in my principles."

"I have to give you that... I have never heard you making some sexist comment, or discussing your latest conquest with the boys at work, or ogling a woman's ass at a scene."

Gibbs slowly runs his free hand down over his face, trying to hide his smirk, but knowing he can't lie to her now. "Well, I can't say I haven't noticed yours, Kate. You have a gorgeous tush... but I have never ogled."

Kate blushes and leans forward to grab her coffee as a distraction while she processes what she just heard. She feels her cheeks burning and it has nothing to do with the bruise forming on her cheek. She sighs and finally sits back, just a bit closer than before as she shakes her head and admits, "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with my boss."

"Why? You think I recruited you just because you're a kick ass agent?"

She looks at him through her lashes, feeling a bit reckless from the bourbon flowing through her veins. The sparkling blue of his eyes, focused entirely on her is causing her pulse to jump erratically. "You mean you didn't?"

Gibbs lets his hand come up from the back of the sofa to gently stroke her hair back from her face as he chuckles, "Well no... not entirely." When she doesn't move away from him, he gently strokes his finger down along her cheek. Their eyes hold for a long moment before he leans in to gently kiss her brow, then her temple before easing her head onto his shoulder. She snuggles closer, relaxing into his comforting strength with a sigh.

They sit in silence for a long while, just enjoying the freedom to be close, to be personal, to be friends. Kate's hand gently presses against his chest, feeling his strong steady heart beat and for the moment everything seems perfect. Then she remembers who she is with, her boss... and a sigh escapes her as she asks, "Why can't I meet a man like you, Gibbs?"

"Because you've already met me, Kate." His arms close around her more, pulling her into a gentle hug as he kisses the top of her head several times. Her arm curls up around his neck, snuggling her face into his neck as she breathes in the clean male scent of him. When they are settled, Gibbs kisses her brow again and adds, "I'm right here."

They sit like this, just cuddling and letting this new closeness bond them together as more than friends. Gibbs would love more coffee, but he doesn't dare move for fear of breaking the spell and losing the chance to hold Kate in his arms. So, he sits still, just gently stroking her back and hair until her soft even breathing tells him she is asleep. He smiles and lays his head back on the cushion, thinking his weekend hasn't turned out so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER V

Sunday mornings were a favorite time for Gibbs to hang out in his basement. The morning light was streaming in from the high windows, the world was silent except for the chirping of the birds and he could lose himself in the simple task of working on his boat. It was his time to unwind, sip some coffee, put his hands to work while his mind drifted to whatever topic popped into his head. This morning, he had a lot to think about... Kate and everything that happened last night.

He is slowly running the hand sander up over the curved edge of the hull's frame, losing himself in the scrape over the wood as his mind drifts to the bar. Kate had come in with that gorilla, but she was definitely not enjoying herself. When Gibbs saw her across the bar, his jealous anger had flared, but he'd kept his seat. Then when it became clear that guy wasn't taking no for an answer, Gibbs had flown across the room and stepped in. Maybe he hadn't had to lay the guy out like that, but... well he needed to be taught a lesson. She'd been understandably upset... having that happen in a public place with so many people watching. But he was pretty sure she was more upset that he'd seen it happen. She was pretty emotional and she'd had a bit too much to drink, but Kate had actually talked to him... really talked to him for the first time.

He suddenly stops the sanding motion when he realizes the grit is gone from the paper attached to the sanding bar in his hand. He heads towards his work bench and sets it down, taking a long sip of his coffee before he reaches for a new sheet of sanding paper. He is occupied with the task of removing the old, shredded paper and replacing it with the new one, when he becomes aware that he is no longer alone. He hears the floorboards creak in the hallway above and remains still, sipping his coffee as he waits for the visitor to make their appearance known.

Kate had awakened on the sofa alone, covered with a blanket. Her memory was a bit fuzzy, but she clearly recalled what happened in the bar after she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The bruise was not terrible, but the bluish haze on her cheek would need some extra make-up to cover come Monday morning. She recalled being driven home by Gibbs and parts of their conversation, but that's where things got hazy... had he really said the things she thought he had? Or was it just some dream she had after he left, because she'd been so emotionally charged last night? That was why she had decided she had to confront Gibbs about it right away, on this Sunday morning. She didn't want there to be any misunderstandings between them when they returned to work... and after what Gibbs had witnessed, she was certain she had some work to do in repairing her image in his eyes.

Now, standing in his kitchen, listening to him moving around downstairs in the basement, her courage suddenly falters. Was this really such a good idea? She had intended to come here, clarify what he had actually said to her last night and then see if they could put the whole incident behind them and pretend it never happened. But was that really what she wanted? If he really had said those things... really had held her in his arms, stroked her hair, kissed her brow so tenderly... did she really want to pretend that nothing had happened? Before she can decide a voice from below startles her mental debate.

"You just gonna stand up there and watch me or did you have something you wanted to say?"

Kate realizes she can't turn back now that he knows she is there and takes a deep calming breath as she steps out onto the platform at the top of the steps. Gibbs has his back to her and she wonders how he knew she was there. She hesitates, but when he makes no attempt to turn around, she comes slowly down the stairs until she is on the lower landing. "Hi, Gibbs."

"Hello, Caitlin." He still doesn't turn around as he finishes replacing the sand paper on the hand bar.

"I just stopped by... ahh... to thank you."

"Not necessary, but you're welcome." He drinks down the last of his coffee and as he is setting his cup down, her next question makes his hand hesitate, stopping in mid-air for a half-beat before continuing down.

"I did have... one question."

Gibbs finally turns around to face her, leaning back on the work bench as he now gives her his full attention. He scans her cheek, but can't see any sign of the injury she received last night. He watches as she now comes down the remaining three steps so she is on the ground level with him. She seems hesitant so he simply waits and watches as she now walks over to the hull of his boat, examining the workmanship, gently running her hand up and down the curved beams. He reaches behind him and grabs a rag, using it to wipe his hands and shirt front to remove as much saw dust as possible.

"This is amazing... I mean really... you're building a sailboat in your basement."

He looks up from his t-shirt at her words, knowing she is nervous and using this conversation as a diversion. He remains where he is and simply responds, "Yep."

Kate still can't bring herself to look at him, keeping her eyes on the smoothly sanded beams as she runs her hand gently over one as she tries to think of how to bring up what she really wants to talk about. Instead she settles for another diversionary comment. "It's so smooth... polished almost. You did all this with only hand tools?"

"Was that what you wanted to ask me, Kate?" He sees her tense at his question and once again waits for her to get to the point of her visit.

She picks up a hand tool sitting on the table supporting the boat's frame and examines it before she sighs and admits, "No... I... I just wanted to clarify... since I had a little bit too much to drink last night..." Gibbs can feel her tension across the room and wonders exactly what she has on her mind. "Did you really say you check out my ass when no one is looking?"

Gibbs had been doing exactly that. His eyes had strayed down to admire how her slacks hugged her rear and showed it off perfectly. As she voices her question his eyes snap back up to her face and he chuckles as he wonders if she'd taken up that position on purpose. "Ahh... yea, I did."

"And when I asked you why I couldn't meet a nice guy like you... did you really say I'd already met one?" She is gaining confidence as each question leaves her lips, realizing he isn't laughing at her or angry about last night's events.

"Yep." Again he keeps his voice low and controlled, even though his pulse has begun to race a bit faster at her line of questioning. He realizes that he needs to see her eyes, needs to see what she is thinking for himself and silently moves away from the work bench. He comes to stand directly behind her, so close, but not touching as he adds, "I also said, I'm right here, Kate."

Feeling his presence, so close that his breath ruffles the hair over her ear, Kate is suddenly nervous and tenses. She is trapped between him and the boat's frame so she uses a diversionary tactic. She holds up the hand tool she had been looking at and asks, "What exactly is this thing?"

Gibbs grins behind her, knowing she is nervous about where their conversation is headed. He decides to play with her a bit as he steps a fraction closer and his hands come out to encircle her from behind. He hears her slight gasp, but ignores it as his hands cover hers and he moves them to the beam, folded over the tool in her hand, as he explains. "It's a hand planer. Let me show you."

He slowly guides her hands up the beam slowly, allowing the blade to gently scrape along the wood's surface. Then he guides their hands back down, only to do it again and again. Kate is mesmerized, not so much by the tool, but by his nearness as he seems to be wrapped all around her, yet not actually touching her yet. He has his mouth next to her ear and can hear her shallow breathing as he stills the motion of their hands and huskily orders, "Close your eyes."

She can't hold back the tremor that races down her spine to the pit of her being, and then slowly allows her eyes to close as she follows his command. Gibbs glances at her face, ensuring her eyes are closed before he once again begins to move the planer slowly up and down the beam. Guiding her hands in a simple motion, he now moves his body in to press against hers, rocking their bodies together as their arms extend up the beam. He does this for several seconds and with each extension, he presses his hips a bit harder against her ass, letting her feel his hard erection as he nuzzles her throat and whispers, "Feel the wood?"

She is panting softly now and gasps as his husky voice oozes into her ear, just as his hips thrust firmly against her. She feels the hard ridge of his manhood nestle into the crease of her ass and gasps softly and nods. He nips her ear gently and adds, "You can't get a feeling like this with a power tool." He presses into her harder and she stifles a moan as his meaning becomes clear... they are no longer talking about the boat. She turns her head to look at him and his eyes are intensely blue as she grins at him. He chuckles and once again raises their arms along the beam, but this time, he doesn't bring them down. He has her stretched along the beam, pressed between the beam and his body as he holds her gaze for a long, intense moment.

Then he slowly leans in to kiss her gently. He lingers a moment, then pulls back just far enough to look at her... to ensure she wanted this as much as he did. Her eyes are so dark they appear solid black as she smiles and tilts her head to bring her lips back under his. He sighs and takes her in a series of slow, soft kisses as they explore this new level of their relationship. Gibbs wants to savor every moment and not rush it and for the first time in a long time, he's found a woman who understands the art of making love slowly.

Not only does Kate understand it, she is spiraling into an intense desire that she's never experienced before. No man has ever made her feel this way just from a few touches and some kisses. But then again, this was Gibbs and she somehow always knew he would be a master at seduction... his kisses were hot, wet, demanding as if he couldn't get enough of her. That alone had her heart pounding out of control, but as Gibbs continues to grind slowly against her ass, pressing his manhood against her like he was making love to her. She moans softly as another shiver of pleasure courses through her and she knows she is close to losing control right now.

Gibbs tries to control his own desire, having waited two years for this moment, but her soft moans and tremors to his every touch have him impatient for more. One hand remains over hers on the planer, while his free hand roams slowly up her body. His fingers glide over her belly, across her ribs to claim the satin covered mound of her left breast. She moans again, her hands gripping so tightly that her knuckles are white as she tries to hold back the tidal wave of desire washing over her. Wanting to use both hands to explore her sweet body, he breaks the kiss, nipping at her jaw as he softly whispers, "Let go, Katie."

His husky words send another shiver down her spine and her hips buck back against his, rubbing harder as her whole world is rocked by an intense orgasm. She moans huskily as her body trembles uncontrollably for several seconds. Her head comes back to rest against his shoulder as she gasps and then stands there panting as Gibbs holds her close, nuzzling her throat until the sensations slowly fade away. When she can speak, she finally rolls her head to look at him with a smile, "Wow."

Gibbs groans huskily and kisses her as his hips press firmly into her rear. Having enjoyed her orgasm almost as much as she did. He taps his fingers over her hand, that is still tightly gripping the planer and teases, "I meant... your hand, Katie... but thank you."

She can't help but laugh at his playful grin and releases her grip on the hand tool. Gibbs chuckles also and takes the tool, setting it down on the table before them. With his hands free now, he gently urges her to turn around and face him, but doesn't give up the closeness they share. Her back is now leaning against the boat's frame while Gibbs leans into her. She is thankful because at the moment her knees were still too weak to hold her up. He holds her gaze for a long moment and the lazy satisfaction he sees there makes him smile. He takes a moment to gently examine her cheek, seeing now at this close range that there is a bruise under the skillfully applied make-up.

His fingers slide tenderly over it and Kate doesn't move. She allows him to continue his slow, gentle exploration of her face, tracing her lips, her eyes... always with a gentle kiss following where his fingers touch. She feels her pulse stutter at his tenderness and huskily whispers, "Mmnn, Jethro..."

In between kisses along the edge of her mouth, he responds, "Jethro, huh? First time... you've ever... called me... by my... first name..." His last kiss finds the mark as his hand curves around behind her head to draw her in for a deep, intense kiss. His tongue skids along her lip as his thumb presses into her jaw, easing her mouth open as he groans deep in his chest and deepens the kiss. Each kiss blends into the next as his tongue delves deeply in search of her soul and Kate is lost to everything except this man.

When he finally pulls back, she is panting and desperate for the release only he can give her once more. Her mind struggles to focus as she nibbles at his rough chin and breathlessly admits, "I... I've never... letting go like that... was a first for me too. I've never had a man excite me like that... so easily, so completely..."

"Yea, well, driving you crazy was kinda the idea... but the way you feel in my arms... your sweet kisses..." He lowers his mouth to hers again, needing to feel her tongue sparring with his again. They are soon lost in a world where only they exist as one kiss blends into the next. His world has shifted, moving in slow motion, yet at the same time it seems to be speeding by too fast. Gibbs wants to savor this first time, enjoy every moment, every inch of the woman in his arms, but he knows his limitations. He's been fantasizing about this moment for two years and now that it's here... it's not right... something keeps nagging at his gut.

Her arms curl possessively around him, drawing him against her as she slowly rolls her hips against his. Drowning in his slow, hungry kisses Kate gives herself to him completely, her body molded against him and throbbing for every touch as his hands glide possessively over her. His hand once again comes up to cup her breast, kneading its fullness as his thumb drags slowly back and forth across her sensitive nipple until it is hard and aching. Then his hand stills, his mouth leaves hers and they stand together, brow to brow, softly gasping for breath as a bit of sanity returns to them. His eyes open to look into hers and she can see his worry, doubt... something was wrong.

Gibbs holds her gaze for a long moment, knowing he can't do this... not now... not like this. His body is screaming at him to move... and move fast; take what she was offering... what he's wanted for so long, but he can't. That would make him just like that creep last night... just like all the other men who wanted only one thing from Kate. He couldn't do that to her... not after their talk last night when he so gallantly told her he wasn't like those other guys. Shit! Was he like them? Was he just as single minded as the men he detested? He sighs heavily, knowing it wasn't true... he had principles and he lived by them. "I... I can't do this, Kate... I'm sorry..."

To say she was shocked would not have even come close to the crushing disappointment she felt when she heard those words. Her heart was pounding, her body humming with excitement and with those few words, it was like ice water poured on her soul. What couldn't he do? Had he suddenly realized he was making out with his employee? What about all those things he'd said? She is instantly filled with her old self-doubts, she could do everything right, everything by the book and still, relationships never worked out for her. What had she done to turn him away?

"Gibbs? What is it? I... what's wrong?"

He sees the doubt in her eyes and realizes his words may have been misinterpreted. He gently strokes his thumb over her lips, silencing her nervous questions as he shakes his head and then sighs sadly. "No, Kate... it's not you... it's me. I've wanted this to happen for so long... but now... I don't want you to think..."

"Think what? That my incredibly sexy boss has been fantasizing about me? That you haven't been secretly admiring my ass all this time? That you haven't drop kicked every man who got a little out of line with me?" Her attempt at humor, trying to salvage the mood between them causes Gibbs to smile in acknowledgement of her accusations.

"No." Then it suddenly dawns on him that all the things she just said are true, and that makes him just like DiNozzo... or worse, because he was her boss. His smile fades away and he again strokes her jaw as he admits, "I don't want you to think... I'm like that guy... last night. I'm not like that, Kate."

"So... all those things you said? The past half hour... where you just rocked my world... that's not you? Gibbs, I can't believe..." He drops a gentle kiss on her lips, stopping her words.

"Stop... yes, this is me... and God, I want you right now... but, it's not right."

She gently rubs her hips across the hard ridge of his desire, causing him to groan softly as he fights to control his desire. "It doesn't get any more right than this."

His hands drop to still her hips, knowing his resolve will disintegrate quickly if she doesn't stop. He tries again to make her understand, "Honey, I want this to happen more than you will ever know... but not like this. Not after last night... when you're rebounding from what happened. I won't take advantage of you like that... I told you I have principles that I live by and simple respect is one of them." He forces himself to step back a bit, putting space between their bodies as his hands gently cup her face. He kisses her gently several times and then sighs with obvious regret. "I... we need time to think about this... I don't want to rush you. Go home, Kate... I'll call you later."

He steps back and watches the play of emotions racing across her face. Shock, worry and anger? He can't be sure, but he hopes that isn't how she sees his actions. He was only doing this so she won't see him like all those other guys that she's been fending off lately. Kate stands there, numb for several seconds, unsure if she should demand to stay, throw herself at him, or just concede that once again she's done something wrong and another man has decided she isn't worth getting involved with. Finally she turns and heads up the stairs, filled with regret.

**I hope you liked this chapter... please let me know. I will try to get chapter 6 out before I leave on vacation... **


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter held so many opportunities for them that I had to break it up... can't be having too much fun in one chapter! I am leaving for vacation soon and will try to get out one more chapter before I go. It will be sure to leave you on the edge of your seat until I return. Too bad I can't take Gibbs with me on my vacation... that would be fun!**

CHAPTER VI

Gibbs isn't sure how long he stayed in the basement sanding on his boat, but he threw every ounce of energy into it after watching Kate disappear at the top of the steps. His frustration level had never been so high... he wasn't used to being denied the sexual release he needed from a woman... let alone twice in one weekend. And to make matters worse... he'd been the one to pull back both times. True, with Karen it had been the right thing to do, but he wasn't so sure about Kate. What if she ended up hating him now? He gave up on coffee and pulled the bottle of bourbon down from the top shelf, needing something stronger to help quell his gnawing desire.

It took a while, but the rhythmic motion of sanding the frame worked its usual magic and eventually, he felt his heart rate calm, his muscles relax and his mind begin to function again. He planned to call Kate later this afternoon, ask her out to dinner and do this thing right. Take her on a real date and explore this attraction between them... although he was pretty sure it was mutually intense, if this morning had been any indication. Gibbs just hoped she wouldn't be too angry with him after the way he behaved this morning. First because he'd been all over her just like that moron in the bar last night. Second at the way he'd suddenly backed off, leaving them both aching as he practically ordered her to leave his house.

Her responses told him his advances weren't unwelcome... but what was she thinking now? Had she gone home and realized he was just like those other guys? Had she cursed him for once again proving that it was impossible for any man to 'just talk'? He really hoped she hadn't come to the conclusion he was the bastard he told her he could be at times. The only way to find out was to go get cleaned up, change into something more presentable and give her a call. Maybe he still had a chance to let her know he really was a nice guy and that he loved her for more than her hot body. He tosses down the rag he once again used to wipe his hands with, corked his bottle of bourbon and heads for the stairs.

As Gibbs steps through his kitchen on the way upstairs to shower, he is brought up short... stunned to see Kate sitting on his sofa looking very tense. She looks so distraught that at first he can only imagine something terrible has happened. Their eyes lock for a long moment and his surprise causes his words come out more accusatory than concerned, "Kate! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Waiting for you." She sits straight with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, trying not to show how they tremble. She'd been sitting here, determined not to let this one slip through her fingers. If she was going to just let him write her off, then why had she come over here this morning in the first place? She knew this could be the one relationship she really wanted to work. Yes, there had been disappointments when other men just failed to 'call her later', but this was different.

His hands settle on his hips and Kate correctly interprets his body language. Gibbs was uncomfortable, maybe frustrated or even angry to find her here and his next words confirm it. "I told you to go home... and I would call you later."

Feeling like she has just been scolded and told to go to her room, Kate feels anger rising at his dismissive tone. She stands up and places her hands on her own hips, mirroring his stance from across the room. Their eyes hold for a moment before she sarcastically asks, "Is this the part where I start calling you a bastard, Gibbs?"

Her words are softly spoken, but they slash right through him to his deepest insecurities. He had feared she wouldn't understand his actions and associate him with those other guys. He lowers his head, runs his hands over his face and then sighs softly, "Really hope not, Kate."

She barely hears him, but by this time her anger has amped up enough that she isn't listening to him. She begins pacing back and forth across the room as her hands fly as she vents all the pent up frustrations inside her.

"You know, Gibbs, you could have at least had the decency to keep your mouth shut! I mean last night... why the hell did you even step in?! And what the hell were you doing in that bar last night anyway?! I can take care of myself you know! I don't need some knight in silver hair to come rescue me from my date... a man that, I will have you know, is highly respected on Capitol Hill. Not that I have any respect for him after the way he behaved, but that is none of your concern! I will date who I want! When I want! That way when they blow me off with the 'I'll call you later' bullshit line... I'm prepared for it! But NO! You had to come charging in like my savior... fill my head with some fantasy of the perfect man! I can't believe I let you...!"

Gibbs had been letting her rant and rave, watching her pace back and forth in her anger. He knew it was no use trying to explain anything to her until she got this out of her system. But when she threw him into the same category as those other schmucks who never called... that was too much. "HEY!" Kate suddenly stops at his loud shout, stunned out of her tirade by his 'I'm gonna head slap you' voice. Now that he has her attention, he lowers his voice as his thumb jerks towards the stairs, "I was gonna call you, Kate. Just as soon as I got showered and cleaned up."

"You were? Really?" She is hesitant to believe him, especially after she just made a fool of herself.

"Yea, I was... I am... to ask you if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tonight." The silence stretches between them as their eyes hold and Kate desperately tries to see the truth in him.

"Like... on a date?" She feels even more stupid for having screamed at him now and her cheeks flush pink.

"Yea... on a real date. I wanted to show you that I was interested in you... the right way." She is so embarrassed that her hand comes up to cover her eyes, unable to look at him any longer. He slowly steps closer, watching her down bent head, but she still refuses to look up at him. He stops in front of her and gently lifts her chin until she is forced to look at him again. He smirks in a crooked grin as he gently asks again, "Now, what the hell are you doing here?"

"At the moment, wishing I hadn't made such a fool of myself... but earlier, when you told me to go home... I couldn't. I got to the door and something told me that if I walked out that door, I would lose you. You're not the only one who's been having fantasies, Gibbs. I've wanted this to happen ever since I met you on Air Force One. I just never thought it was a possibility... until you appeared out of nowhere at the bar last night."

As she is talking, Gibbs has moved his hands to gently grasp her upper arms, letting his thumb gently caress her soft skin while keeping her from putting space between them. He smiles at her admission and teases, "Like a knight in silver hair?"

Kate nods as her cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink, but she feels her confidence rising again as she now gently reaches up to glide her fingers through the hair at his temple. "I couldn't leave... until I had a chance to... tell you how I felt. I don't see you like those other guys, Jethro... I could never see you like that."

"I like it when you call me Jethro... and I like that you're strong enough to stand up for what you want." He tugs her closer and brings her lips under his as he takes her in a long, slow intense kiss. With a soft sigh, Kate melts into his embrace as her arms curl up around his neck, drawing him as close possible. Without hesitation Gibbs takes the sweetness she offers, deepening the kiss as his arms tighten around her like steel bands. Each kiss melting into the next, they spend long minutes lost in their new passion.

When the need to breathe overwhelms him, Gibbs finally pulls back with a husky growl and his lips hungrily skim along her jaw to nibble on her ear. He nips the soft lobe, then growls again as his tongue flicks along the inner curves; causing Kate to tremble as heat trickles from his tongue down through her entire being. She forces herself to concentrate, "Mmmnnn... about this date..."

Gibbs continues to torment her, moving down to trace the erratic pulse beating in her throat as he mumbles his response, "Um-hhmm..."

"You... said... you were..." She can't continue as his mouth closes over her throat, sucking gently at the curve to her shoulder. He finally releases her flesh, satisfied he's left his mark on her and softly finishes her thought.

"Gonna call you... yea..." He stops as her hand comes up to sink into the hair at the back of his head, gently clamping down as she pulls his head up to look at her.

She tries to keep a serious expression on her face, but there is a devilish glint in her eyes. "No... before that... you said something about a shower?"

He grins and relaxes his arms around her waist as he leans back to put a bit of space between them, "Yea... why? Do I need one that bad?"

"No... I've always found your sawdust aroma very intoxicating. I... I just kinda got fixated on the whole... image of you in the shower."

"One of your fantasies?" He sees her cheeks turn pink again and feels his cock twitch in response. "Am I alone in this fantasy... or...?"

"Oh... sometimes..." She leans in to bring her lips to his in a teasing kiss as she pulls his lower lip between hers to stroke it with her tongue. She releases it only to deepen the kiss, giving him a hint of the intense passion to follow before she pulls back to huskily tease, "...but why waste a perfectly good shower fantasy by yourself?"

Kate had long believed there was a disconnect between those rare moments of true eroticism and real life. That was why romance novels always glossed over the whole act of 'getting naked'. There was nothing erotic about pulling your shirt over your head. Nothing sexy about reaching back to unhook your bra... or pull down a pair of boxers. It was just a fact of life; even though many had made attempts to improve on the procedure through history. It all came down to the fact that the clothes had to come off and it was a menial and utilitarian act which lovers worldwide had to deal with.

Now, standing in this masculinely appointed master bathroom, with the man who was all rugged sexuality and confidence, Kate finds herself once again proven wrong. Gibbs leans casually against the vanity counter, holding her gaze as he reaches across his body with one hand, arching his body to the side as he slowly pulls his t-shirt up and off. Kate's breath catches in her throat as he exposes his lean muscled torso with a light dusting of silver hair across his chest. His eyes never leave hers as he drops his shirt to the floor and holds out his hand to her. "C 'mere, Kate."

With the water running in the shower behind her, steam is starting to float up around them and she is mesmerized. She slowly steps closer, taking his hand as he pulls her in close to stand between his spread legs. Gibbs wants to savor every minute of his first time with her and removing her clothing held a special thrill for him. He gently kisses her knuckles, then takes one fingertip between his lips to suck on it gently. His tongue curls around it, tasting and teasing as a tremor races through her with a soft gasp. He releases her hand, holding her finger hostage in his mouth as he directs his hands to the task of unbuttoning her blouse.

Kate holds her hand steady, enjoying his caress as she slowly moves each finger in and out of his mouth in turn. She stops only to lower her arm so her blouse can slip unheeded to the floor. She hadn't been aware of his skillful touch, but her bra slips away as well; leaving her bare breasts mere inches from him. Gibbs groans softly and leans in, replacing her fingers with one taut nipple as he hungrily mauls her. She cries out hoarsely, arching into his caress as her arms slip around his neck, holding him to his task. He gives equal attention to her throbbing breasts, nipping, gently licking the sensitive tips, then roughly sucking them into his mouth again.

When he pulls back with a groan, Kate realizes the remainder of her clothing has pooled around her feet. Gibbs' hand slides between her thighs, gently seeking the slickness at her core as he strokes her and she widens her stance. Her eyes scan down his body and a moan of pure desire escapes her. His jeans are undone, pushed low on his hips with his impressive cock standing at attention, thick and hard, against his belly. In that moment Gibbs is hotter than every fantasy she's ever envisioned. She drops slowly to her knees as her hands glide down his arms, easing his hands back until they are gripping the edge of the countertop. Their eyes meet and she can see the smoldering desire in him... he won't say the words, but she knows what he wants.

As she leans forward to place a gentle kiss on the satiny head, her tongue flicks out to taste him and a deep growl rumbles through his gritted teeth. His knuckles turn white as he grips the counter tightly and arches his hips up as she slowly lowers her mouth around him. She takes in as much as she can, humming with pleasure as she sucks hard and pulls back just as slowly. Her hands easily remove his jeans the next time his hips arch up to meet her mouth; gliding her tongue down over the hot, hard length, feeling his cock pulsing and alive. She twists and pulls and grazes her teeth over him until his fingers curl into her hair, momentarily holding his manhood deep in her mouth before gently pulling her head back with a husky plea, "Honey... stop... can't take any more..."

Kate looks up into intense blue eyes afire with passion and slowly rises back up to stand in front of him. His hand in her hair guides her mouth back to his as he finally stands up, tilting her head back to roughly plunder the sweetness he craves. Kate moans into his mouth, giving him everything he demands and more as he slowly walks her backwards towards the shower. Their kisses never stop as he eases her into the warm spray of water and closes the door behind him.

As the water cascades down over their already heated bodies, Gibbs maneuvers her back against the tile wall, pressing into her body as he rocks his hips into hers, rubbing his throbbing cock against her wet belly. He breaks the kiss to rest his brow against hers, his hands grip her hips, holding her close as he growls, "Aaahhh, Katie... what you do to me... I've waited for this moment... so long..." He peppers her face with gentle kisses, panting hard as he tries to regain some control. "I... it's not going to be slow and easy... not this time... I need you too bad..."

"I know... mmnn... I just want you Jethro... aaahhh!" She gasps as his hands curve possessively around her ass, lifting her up to pin her against the tiles. Her arms curl around his neck, her legs around his waist as he holds her there, his hot cock poised to impale her and their eyes meet. He kisses her again and again, slow, intense kisses as he eases her down onto his shaft. She finally breaks the kiss, arching back with a moan when he stops deep inside her, stretching her, filling her in a way she's never felt before. He watches her eyes flutter shut with a soft gasp as a tremor races up her spine and back down and she grips him.

When her eyes focus on him again, he whispers, "Don't want to hurt you... " She nods and he holds her gaze as he slowly withdraws and then sinks back in with a groan, "Oohh... you're so tight..." He fights for control, but quickly loses the battle as her soft moans urge him on. Soon he is driving into her hard and deep, but keeps it slow until he feels her body tensing around him. She buries her fingers in his hair, drawing his mouth to hers as she glides her tongue over his, moaning softly as she urges him on. Not able to stand the pressure building in him any longer, Gibbs crushes her against the wall, his kisses harsh and demanding as he drives his hips, hard and fast, ramming into her soft body.

Kate arches against him, breaking the kiss to cry out as he pushes her to limits she never knew existed, "Aaahhh... Jethro... Oohh God, yes!... yes!" Starbursts explode behind her eyes as her entire body shatters in his arms, lost to the intense rhythm as Gibbs groans and rides her hard through the intense orgasm. His teeth sink into her shoulder, holding her as he thrusts deeply one last time, his body going rigid as he explodes deep inside her. His whole body trembles and he grinds his hips into hers as he comes long and hard. It is several seconds before he slowly regains his sanity and releases her flesh. Realizing his teeth had sunk into her soft skin, he kisses the red marks gently and then lowers his head to her shoulder, panting heavily.

After a moment he realizes Kate is not breathing and her whole body is still tensed. He raises his head to nuzzle her ear and softly whispers, "Breathe, Kate..." As if released from a trance, she lets out a long sigh and her whole body shudders as another tremor radiates through her. He feels her canal gripping his cock and smiles as he kisses her throat and again rests his head beside hers. "You okay?"

"Mmnn... no... not okay..." When he raises his head in confusion at her answer, she smiles and strokes her fingers through his hair as she explains, "I am so beyond okay, right now... I... this moment... is perfection." She brings his mouth to hers, kissing him with intense emotion to express what she can't find the words to say. Gibbs grins as he returns her kisses, happier than he's been in many years.

He pulls back slowly, holding her eyes as his cock slides out of her and he slowly lowers her to her feet. She can feel the handprints on her ass where he held her and knows there will be bruises tomorrow... bruises that she will wear proudly. Gibbs seems to read her mind as his hands rub gently over the red areas as he teases, "Much better with you in the shower fantasy with me." She grins and arches her brow to emphasize her agreement, then watches calm and content as he reaches over to squirt some shower gel into his hand.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII

She sighs softly and a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth as she pretends to read the report in front of her. Her eyes are focused on the screen in her mind, reliving last night's events again. Showering with Gibbs was an experience Kate doubted she would ever forget... or come close to matching; as far as fantasies go. Their first time had been fast, hard and demanding with no time for finesse or exploration. She knew it would be that way... they had wanted it too long; held it inside for too many years. What had surprised her was his stamina... within minutes of setting her back on her feet; Gibbs had begun a slow sensuous exploration of her entire body, soaping her gently with his work roughened hands as his touch found every spot that made her react.

_Some were soft and gentle, others were firm and demanding, but every single one had her moaning and trembling at his mercy. She was amazed at how quickly her desire flared, leaving her aching for him... and she didn't have to wait long. Standing behind her, he slid his hands down her arms, covering her hands and interlocking their fingers as he raised her hands to the tile wall. Leaning into her, he pressed her closer until their weight was supported on their elbows, spread on either side of her head. His foot gently swept inside hers, pushing her feet apart like a suspect about to be frisked. Kate recalls the thrill that ran down her spine as another of her fantasies scrolled through her mind in that moment._

_Then one arm came down to wrap around her waist, pulling her hips back to his as he stroked his wet, stubble covered jaw along her throat and whispered, "Now... where were we? Just about to do this..." He leans in further, slowly driving his hard cock into her until he is buried deep inside her. "Right, Katie? This what you wanted when you came this morning?" She moans incoherently and tilts her head back to rest against his as his hips grind slowly against her, hitting every trigger spot. His hand presses into her lower belly, urging her back onto his cock even more. Gibbs was in full control this time and he intended to take his time, tormenting her until her pleasure was so overwhelming it was almost painful..._

A soft THWACK of something striking Kate dead center in the forehead brings her abruptly out of her memory induce trance. Her head jerks back and she looks up into the amused eyes of her annoying co-worker, Tony DiNozzo. He is seated across the aisle at this desk, grinning like a fool because his latest paper ball hit its mark. Kate suddenly realizes there are numerous other paper balls lying on her desk and on the floor around her and wonders how long he's been lobbing them at her? She'd been so lost in her memories that she hadn't even noticed until one hit her in the head.

"Tony! Really? Do you always have to be so juvenile?" She scoops up a handful of the paper balls and tosses them all back across the aisle at him. He playfully ducks the shower of harmless paper missiles and laughs at her annoyed glare. She was more angry that he'd interrupted a particularly intense memory that actually had her a bit flustered right now.

"Geez, Kate! Where the hell were you? You were like zoned out in some kinda trance there for a few."

She forces her eyes to return to the report in front of her, not daring to look over at their boss who just walked in. He was pretending not to notice, but picked up everything they said. She also saw McGee watching innocently from his desk, once again alerted only by Kate's annoyed tone that something was going on. She has one retort on the tip of her tongue, knowing if she actually told Tony what she had been thinking he would be shocked... for all of about ten seconds. Then he would be ruthless as he hounded her for details. So instead, she settles for a truthful... yet somewhat secretive answer that she knows Gibbs will understand, but the others won't. "I was just thinking about horses, Tony... an amazing stallion, actually."

Gibbs had been taking a sip of his coffee and suddenly chokes on it as he suddenly coughs roughly; wiping at his mouth to cover the laugh that had burst from him at her words. She had teased him in the early hours of the morning about 'being a stallion in bed' because they had just finished making love for the sixth time. He quickly walks off, not arousing anyone's suspicions except the woman who threw out that pointed comment a moment ago. It was hard enough to pretend everything was normal when she was sitting only three feet away from him, close enough to get occasional whiffs of her perfume when she moved. He was going to have to talk to her about behaving at work if they were gonna keep this quiet.

Tony and McGee both turn to watch their boss uncharacteristically choking on his coffee. They hadn't caught the smile or recognized his laughter for what it was... mainly because he wasn't one to laugh much... especially not at work. Kate just lowered her head and went back to reading her report... or pretending to read, anyway. She felt a glow wash over her at her lover's reaction, knowing her understood her veiled message.

"So, horses, huh? I didn't know you were the cowgirl type, Kate?" McGee as usual was clueless and simply trying to join in the conversation. Kate sighs silently and then leans back in her chair to casually look over at him.

"Actually, I grew up with horses, Tim. My father owned a horse farm in Kentucky and I could ride almost before I could walk."

"Wow, that's amazing. I've always admired horses, but... you know... with the allergy thing... I don't do well around fur, hair, barns, dust... or pets. Unless their cold blooded, of course... I had a Bearded Dragon... it's a lizard..."

"Yea, we get the picture, McSneezy. You were a wimpy kid who spent your entire childhood in a bubble." Tony is out of his seat, coming across to sit on the edge of Kate's desk as he turns his attention to her now, "I'm more interested in hearing about Kate's childhood... like sitting on some big, snorting beast... with her legs wrapped tightly... arrgghh..."

Kate gives Tony one of her best withering glares, but before she can cut him down for having his mind in the gutter, an especially hard head slap causes his head to snap forward. He yelps in pain and ducks, fearing another reprimand as he spins around to see Gibbs standing directly behind him with his hands on his hips. He keeps his voice low and deadly as his icy blue eyes drill into his young agent, "Do we need to have... another talk, DiNozzo?"

"No, boss... not necessary!" He has the decency to look embarrassed at being caught tormenting his co-worker again... and he hasn't forgotten Gibbs' threat last week. Tony quickly skirts around his boss, keeping his backside covered in case Gibbs was serious about following through on his threat. When Tony is safely back at his desk, Gibbs hesitates a moment, then turns back to Kate and gives her a slight smirk and a wink before he returns to his desk as well.

Although it wasn't easy, Jethro and Kate managed to slip into a routine of nonchalance at work, with some ground rules to keep them from having anymore moments like Gibbs choking on his coffee. No touching was mandatory, no secret moments, no barbed comments that only they would understand... so basically, they had to pretend they were back to the way things were before their fateful weekend. Neither one liked putting these restrictions on their relationship, but it was still so new... still untested and they stood a better chance of making this work if they didn't have any outside help.

They had spent long evenings cuddled up on the sofa talking about what would happen when they eventually did tell the rest of the team; laughing and imitating the various reactions they expected from them. Gibbs was more worried about what the Director would say. He knew there was no official policy about work place fraternization, but the Director was old school... just like Gibbs. Rule number twelve was not something to break lightly and the Director wouldn't hesitate to yank Kate off his team if he felt she was a distraction in any way. There was no way in hell Gibbs was going to tell him exactly how much of a distraction she was, because he knew he could handle it. He also knew Kate was professional enough to make this work. All they had to do was make sure they were solid in their relationship before they opened the door to that type of scrutiny.

They have been dating for three months now, slipping into a routine of her apartment on weeknights and his house for the weekends. It was easier for him to head home and change on short time than for Kate to do it. Women just needed more time to get ready in the morning, so Gibbs reluctantly left her to her morning routine as he ran home to shower and change. As much as he would have loved to get to know her every little pattern and routine, he knew it would have to wait... maybe soon he'd bring up the topic of her moving in with him. Maybe when they were ready to let the team in on their secret, because it wouldn't take them long to find out if she moved into his house for good.

Kate had been having similar thoughts, but she'd been reluctant to bring them up. She didn't want to seem like one of those desperate women who got all clingy and controlling. In reality she had become so addicted to him that she could hardly stand to be away from him anymore. On the rare occasions that work or some other commitment kept them apart, she would lie awake, unable to sleep without his solid warmth beside her. She had slowly been merging their lives; leaving clothing, personal items at his house while she encouraged him to have a change of clothes or two at hers... just in case. What she wasn't sure of, even now, was how Gibbs felt about having another woman in the house he shared with Shannon and Kelly. Dating was one thing, but that had been their house... would Gibbs want her there? She decides the time has come to bring up the subject with Gibbs... maybe tonight.

Gibbs was not in a good mood. Having been kept late at work for a meeting with the Director on an upcoming Naval Intelligence Conference and the security that would be needed for it. Gibbs was not only the senior team leader in their office, but senior to all other team leaders in all of the eastern seaboard states. And with that seniority came the responsibility of coordinating and managing all the other NCIS teams that would be coming in to help cover the security detail.

He tried to concentrate, but the clock ticked by as he sat there during the long video conference, listening to all the other team leaders reporting on their progress. His eyes kept wandering to his watch, wondering what Kate was doing right now. She knew he would be held up, but he hated to keep her waiting. Every minute of his free time had become a precious thing and he wanted to spend it all with her. Even if he did nothing except sit and read while she worked her crossword puzzles, he had come to treasure those times. In fact, he had actually come to enjoy helping her solve the puzzles and waited patiently for her adorable frown, then the questions to him when she was stuck for the right answer.

By the time the meeting finally ended, it was after nine o'clock and he couldn't get out of the office fast enough. He drove straight to her place, knowing she would be waiting to make everything better. He lets himself in, smiling at the treasure of having a key to her apartment... a gift she had given to him last weekend. Her comment about him almost living there anyway had been said casually, but he'd sensed her deeper meaning. Maybe it was time to think about moving their relationship forward.

As he closes the door, soft jazz music greets him and he knows where he'll find her. He takes the stairs two at a time and follows the familiar scent of Jasmine oil. When he enters the master bathroom his breath catches in his chest as he sees Kate standing beside the huge garden tub in nothing but her robe. She is just leaning over to light the last candle, having filled the tub with hot sudsy water and her favorite bath oil. Their eyes meet and she smiles, unable to control the way her heart always lurches when he looks at her with that smoldering need.

"Hey..." She watches as he quickly jerks his tie loose and strips it from around his collar, then begins to undo the cuffs on his black button down shirt.

"Hi. Long day. Are you hungry?" He leaves his shirt on the chair just outside the bathroom door, then kicks off his shoes and comes in to stand before her with a cocky grin. He reaches out to slowly untie the sash on her robe before pushing it off her shoulders. With her arms trapped in the folds of fluffy material, Gibbs grabs the edges and pulls her into his arms as he responds.

"Oh yeah..." He takes her in a long, slow sensuous kiss that has her trembling before he pulls back to look into her dark, smoky eyes.

"I meant dinner, babe. You know, food? I have it ready... I just need to heat it up for you."

"Later. This is what I need right now." He lets her robe fall to the floor as his hands now roam possessively up her back, molding her to him as his lips find hers again. She gives in to his demanding mouth, moaning softly as his tongue seeks out hers. After several kisses he finally pulls back to finish his thought, "You... a hot bath... and jazz. All that's missing is a cold beer."

"Would you settle for cold wine?" She tilts her head to indicate the bottle chilling on the corner stand. "I'll share it with you."

Gibbs just smiles and holds her hand as she steps down into the large tub. When she slips into the hot sudsy water, he quickly flips off the overhead light and removes the remainder of his clothes. She leans forward, letting him settle into the water behind her. With a sigh, Gibbs relaxes back onto the sloped tub and closes his eyes as the frustration of the day begins to slip away. Kate pours a large glass of wine and hands it to him, letting him drink before she settles back against his chest. He holds the glass to her lips and she takes a drink as her hands stroke slowly down over his thighs, loving the feel of the course hair and lean, hard muscles. They both lay their heads back, just relaxing and enjoying being together again.

Gibbs smiles to himself, wondering what his two agents would say if they knew he had come to love soaking in bubble baths. Tony had teased Tim mercilessly about it a while back, claiming it was 'a gay' thing... and at the time, Gibbs probably had to agree. But now, having been introduced to them by Kate... he saw them in a whole new light. All he has to do is recall the feel of her body sliding against his, or the way their baths always turned into very erotic sex. No, bubble baths with Kate were a good thing... but he still had his doubts about Tim's love of them. Maybe his young agent wasn't gay... at least not according to Abby, but he definitely needed some help in the 'man cave' department. Ever since Tony had begun teasing him about being gay, Tim had tried harder to be macho... sometimes overdoing it. But with some private guidance from Gibbs he was coming around. He just needed a little confidence... and a girlfriend.

Kate reaches over to grab the wine glass from the edge of the tub's frame and sees the smirk on her lover's face. She takes a sip, leans to one side and twists around to see him better as she asks, "And what's so amusing?"

"I was just thinking about McGee and bubble baths."

"McGee?" She slips one hand under the water to wrap her fingers around his semi-rigid shaft. With a gentle stroke, Gibbs moans softly as she teases, "So, it's McGee in a bubble bath that has you in this condition?"

He tries to give her his best Gibbs glare, but it was hard when her hand was stroking him gently. He finally smiles and admits, "NO! Just thinking about DiNozzo teasing him about liking bubble baths and how that made him seem gay... I was just thinking maybe Tim was on to something."

"You mean, being gay? Or the benefits of a bubble bath?" She has her head resting on his shoulder, continuing her caress. Gibbs studies her for a long moment before his head dips to kiss her gently several times, each one lasting a bit longer.

"Bubble baths aren't so bad... as long as you got a hot babe, sitting between your legs." He holds her head as his mouth drops in a more demanding kiss, plundering the sweetness she offers as he urges her around to face him. When she is facing him, straddling his thighs with her arms wrapped around his neck, he pulls back to add, "Thinking of installing one of these at the house... for you." He strokes back her damp hair, studying her to see what reaction his words have. "What do you think... would you like that?"

She had been gently nibbling on his jaw, but at the serious tone of his words, she sits back to look at him. She sees the tension in him, realizing he is as nervous as she is about bringing up this topic. Her fingers stroke slowly through his hair as she answers softly, "Well... you know I love my bubble baths, Jethro... but to install a tub at your house would..."

"Would make it our house... I want it to be our house, Katie." He sees a flurry of emotions flicker through her eyes and he wonders if he's rushing this too soon. He has known from the first day with her that he wanted her in his life, in his house and in his bed. But maybe Kate wasn't so sure about them. "Say something..."

"God... Jethro... you're talking about... I mean, I think you mean... geez, it's your home." She doesn't know of any other way to bring up the topic except to come right out and say the words so she takes a deep calming breath, "It's the home you shared with Shannon... and Kelly... are you sure?"

"It's just a house... you'd make it a home again, Kate. Wanted to ask you to move in with me for a while now." He strokes her cheek, hoping she isn't too freaked out about the fact that his house was where he lived with Shannon and Kelly. He could never sell the house, never move away from their memories there, but he didn't want their presence to scare away the new love in his life. "Unless you don't want..."

"No! I mean... that's not it. I just thought it would bother you. I'm actually stunned that you want me to be a part of it, a part of your life." She leans in to kiss him again, urgently wanting to let him know she is not having doubts about him. "I was actually thinking that we needed to talk about this... whole moving in together thing. I mean, with our schedules like they are, it's so hard to live like this... half here, half there... but it would also cause more complications and..."

He grips both sides of her face, stopping her nervous flood of words with a smile in true Gibbs fashion, "Kate... just say yes..." She is stunned into silence and after a moment simply nods and leans in to hug him tightly as she peppers kisses all over his face. Slowly her kisses find more purpose, moving closer and closer to his mouth until Gibbs finally growls and takes her in a deep, demanding kiss. He wants there to be no doubt about where their relationship is going now that she's agreed to move in with him.

Her legs straddle his waist and he groans huskily as she skillfully glides her hips over his erect manhood. She slowly rubs her sex up and down, rising slowly only to slip back into the steamy water as their eyes remain locked together. Each movement of her body brings her breasts up through the bubbles, wet and glistening in the candle light. Gibbs' eyes drop to the tempting, rounded peaks before him and his hands close in on her hips. He stops her movements, holding her up so he can examine the taut, dark nipples before him. A shiver runs through her as he gently blows on them, trying to displace the bubbles that cling to her skin. A smile playing at the corner of her mouth, wondering if he'll mind the taste of soap bubbles when he kisses them. He finally sighs and brings his eyes back up to hers, "Kate…"

"Yes?"

"As my woman… I think you should give me a drink of wine."

"I've got news for you, Gibbs… I ain't nobody's slave girl."

"Never said anything about being my slave girl, honey. I just thought since you adore me so much you might naturally want help me out... since I got my hands full." His hands glide up her sides to cup her breasts firmly.

"Oh you did? And what exactly are you going to do for me?"

"Give me a drink of wine and I'll show you."

She chuckles and leans towards him, with her arms on either side of his head to kiss him slowly as she grabs the wine glass. She is slow to sit back however as she leaves her lips on his and huskily whispers, "If all I have to do is keep you supplied with wine to get what I want… I think I'm gonna buy a winery."

She kisses him again and then sits back up with the wine glass in her hand. She takes a small sip and then tips the glass up to his lips so he can drink also. He takes a long swig, but doesn't swallow as she sets the glass aside again. When she turns her attention back to him he once again raises her up until her nipples break through the bubbles a few inches from his face. She watches as Gibbs now brings his mouth closer and allows a thin stream of wine to spray from his lips. He effectively washes away all the bubbles from each dark peak, leaving them dripping wine slowly into the water. By the time he is done, Kate is laughing as Gibbs grins and swallows the rest of the wine.

One hand slides up to cup her breast firmly, holding it as his mouth drops with expert accuracy to devour the wine tinted peak. Kate's laughter dies on a breathless sigh as Gibbs' hungry caress takes her by surprise. He mauls her roughly, suckling hard as he draws her body in closer. Her fingers curl around the back of his neck, twining in his damp hair as she whimpers softly as wave after wave of bittersweet pain courses through her. She arches towards him, offering herself to his mouth as it moves from one hardened tip to the other.

Gibbs allows her to redirect his focus, taking the taut nipple she presses against his lips. This time his caress is gentler, but no less urgent as he suckles hungrily and Kate is lost in the moment of pleasure as he expertly awakens the desire deep inside her. After a few minutes, Kate is aching to feel him inside her and raises her body up to slowly lower herself, easing his large shaft deep inside her before she stops to enjoy the moment. This time, it is Gibbs who moans huskily as he is overcome by the intense heat of being inside her. His mission forgotten, his head falls back to rest on the tub behind him. "Aaahhh… baby… you feel so good."

Kate leans forward, pressing her body against him as she brings her lips to his in a teasing kiss. Her arms curl around his neck, supporting his head as their eyes meet with undisguised longing. She tenderly kisses him as she whispers, "That's because I am… and I'm all yours."

His arms curve around her waist and he reaches up to claim her lips in another slow kiss. They spend long minutes kissing and caressing, but their hips remain motionless. Each kiss melts into another until the world outside ceases to exist. She is panting softly when she finally moves back; trying to catch her breath, but as if addicted, she can't keep her lips from his skin. They now nibble along his jaw, moving closer to his ear. "When you kiss me… mmmnnn… it makes me so hot."

Gibbs just smiles, knowing she is on the verge of an orgasm already. It isn't the first time he's excited her with just kisses. His hand finds one hard nipple pressed against his chest and he begins to slowly roll it between his thumb and finger as his lips find her ear. She buries her face against his neck; crying out softly as a tidal wave of pleasure rolls through her body. He feels her trembling response and growls deep in his throat as he begins to thrust slow and easy. He gently eases her head back until he can see her face. Nothing excites him more than the total surrender in her eyes. Kate moans huskily and her canal constricts, stroking his shaft as he continues to thrust gently into her. He prolongs her thrill until she finally lets out a long shuddering moan. She lowers her head to his shoulder, weak and panting as one last tremor rolls through her body.

They once again sit motionless as Kate regains her sanity. "Mmmnnn… I don't know how you do that… but I love it."

He kisses her brow and then wraps his arms around her waist as he once again eases his shaft deeper into her tight canal. She whimpers softly and raises up in response, ready to move with him. Her head is resting on his shoulder and her lips pressed against the pulse racing up his neck. Although still weak and satisfied from her orgasm, Kate moans contentedly and moves with Gibbs in perfect rhythm as he slowly raises his hips to hers. The water around them begins to churn, matching the motions of their bodies as they rock and sway together in this intimate dance. Gibbs keeps it slow and easy for several minutes, enjoying the slow, but steady invasion as her body awakens anew.

After several minutes she moans huskily and raises her head. She studies him, seeing the tension around his mouth as he maintains control. She smiles and kisses him teasingly several times. Each time he tries to deepen the kiss she pulls back only to torment him again. With both hands on her hips, Gibbs suddenly stops thrusting, holding her still as he looks deeply into her eyes and gruffly orders, "C 'mere, woman."

She knows what he wants and brings her lips back to his in a desperate kiss. He growls huskily as she obeys; opening her mouth to the insistent probing of his tongue. She matches his passionate kiss for kiss and it isn't long before Gibbs groans roughly and begins thrusting into her again. He pulls her hips down hard as his hips come up, causing her to gasp at the deep penetration. He continues this motion, hard and fast, for several moments as their desperate kisses match movement for movement. He feels the pressure building and the water begins to slosh up over the rim of the tub and onto the floor around them. Neither seems to notice as they are swept away into that mindless abyss of ecstasy.

Kate's muffled cry is drowned out by Gibbs' growl as his tongue invades her mouth in rhythm with his thrusting hips. Her whole body once again tightens as she is racked by wave after wave of tremors. Gibbs groans hoarsely, loving the way her canal holds him tightly until he can barely move. His fingers dig into her flesh as he holds her body still and rams his shaft deeply into her again and again. Kate breaks the kiss, gasping for air and moaning with each movement until a hoarse cry escapes his throat as his life fluid surges forth into her. His head is flung back and the cords stand out on his neck, frozen in an intense orgasm. It is several moments before he can even draw a ragged breath and his body finally relaxes in exhaustion.

They both lie there panting softly for several minutes as the last waves of pleasure trickle through them and their sanity returns. Even with his arms around her a cold chill crawls up Kate's spine and she shivers. Much of the warm water that had been surrounding them is now on the floor, leaving them exposed. Gibbs gently dips up warm water in his hands and rubs it across her back as his head comes up to survey the damage. "I think we made a mess again."

"Mmnn... don't care... my lease is up soon." He feels her smiling into his neck and can't help but smile too. She was moving in with him and that's all that mattered right now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, finally back from vacation... and had a great time. Hope you like this next chapter...**

CHAPTER VIII

Three months, wasn't exactly a lifetime, but it was certainly proving to be a difficult time for Kate. Ever since she had agreed to move in with Gibbs, he'd become somewhat difficult. Insisting she not move in until her lease was up, presumably to avoid any legal entanglements of breaking her lease early. Kate had no doubt her landlord would have let her out of her lease early if she had explained why, but Gibbs had insisted she stay there until the lease expired. He told her it would give him time to get his house in order and make a few changes... which he refused to tell her about. He'd even gone so far as to quarantine her from his house, claiming he wanted her to be surprised by the renovations he was doing.

She had not been allowed over to his house for almost two months now and it was proving to be very difficult to stay away. Kate had come to love Gibbs' eclectic style of living and spending time with him in the basement working on his boat. She was also worried that he may be doing too much; trying to erase all aspects of his life with Shannon and Kelly, so she will feel more comfortable there. The last thing Kate wanted was for Gibbs to remove all the memories of them from his life. She would never come between him and his first loves.

She'd offered to help him and by now, Gibbs knew she was capable of learning quickly and had a knack for working with her hands. She completely understood why he liked to build boats in his basement. Working with your hands was very therapeutic, calming and it freed your mind. Unfortunately Gibbs was adamant she not see his house until the renovations were done... so she was left sitting in her apartment alone, missing him and worrying that he was taking this moving in together thing a bit too seriously.

This resulted in Gibbs spending more time at her apartment; that is when he wasn't at home working on his secret projects. In that respect, Kate had no complaints. Their time together was better than ever and a whole new intimacy had evolved between them. Gibbs was not only a master carpenter, an expert field agent, sniper and negotiator... he was also a master at making love and took great pleasure in showing Kate new things to widen her horizons. She may have started out life as a well-behaved, timid Catholic girl, but under Gibbs' gentle guiding hands, she has opened her horizons and her mind to a new world. And, though she would never admit it to anyone except Gibbs, she discovered a whole new side of herself that was daring and thrilled by the darker side of sex.

Kate had never liked men who abused or mistreated women, but with Gibbs even his rough play was done with love and respect. A smile flickers across her lips as she recalls their latest experiment. Gibbs had introduced her to bondage; nothing painful or humiliating as Kate had always pictured bondage to be for women. This had been a simple soft restraint of her wrists, securely tying them to the headboard so that she could... as he said, 'relax and just feel what he was doing to her.' The first time Gibbs had grabbed her hands and held them firmly above her head as they roughly made love, brought her to a screaming orgasm. This time had been even more intense...

"Earth to Kate... earth to Kate... come in Special Agent Kate Todd..."

With a sigh, Kate turns to look over at DiNozzo, who was driving the car. "What, DiNozzo?"

"Man, when you zone out... you are, like out there... in deep space, aren't you?" He catches her blush as she turns her head back to look out the side window of the car. "You got a new boy-friend, Kate?"

"Tony, how many times do I have to tell you that my personal life is none of your business?"

In true DiNozzo fashion, he ignores her verbal reprimand and laughs, "Ha! Ha! Let me guess... judging by your previous history with men... is he a lawyer?" Her silence doesn't deter him. "A doctor? An aide to a senator? A senator?"

She is worried that she could be so transparent that even DiNozzo could pick up on her new emotional state. Ever since the day of their 'horse' conversation, and Gibbs' reminder of their talk, Tony had been pretty much leaving her alone. Now she sighs, knowing it was too good to last. Tony was not the type to let something go when it obviously gave him so much enjoyment... even if he did risk the wrath of Gibbs. When she finally looks over at him, his eyes are bright and flashing with curious excitement. He arches his brow at her, suggesting he was on to something because she looked at him. Sometimes he could be surprisingly charming in his juvenile way.

She sighs and simply shakes her head as DiNozzo pulls their car into its parking space at the Navy Yard. As they walk into the building, he continues to hound her for answers to the identity of her new flame. Kate ignores him as best she can, giving only single 'yes or no' answers to all of his questions. Tony is walking a step behind her, too close as he leans over her shoulder to see how she registers his latest question. When she stops at her desk, he runs into her, almost knocking her over and she turns to glare at him.

"He's got at least a six figure income, doesn't he?"

"Tony Enough! That's it... end of twenty questions for today, all right?"

She pushes him back out of her personal space and then goes to sit down. She isn't angry with him, but his insistence that she would only date wealthy or influential men irritates her. She was not a gold digger that only dated men in powerful positions. But hadn't she done just that in her previous dating history? No... she had not consciously targeted men in the elite tax bracket, but here in D.C. there just happened to be more men in powerful, well paying jobs than not. Look at Gibbs, he wasn't... well, yes, he was in a position of power and control, but he was by no means in the elite tax bracket.

DiNozzo watches her for a moment, wondering if she is angry or just giving him crap as usual. After Gibbs' second warning to him he really has been trying to tone down his harassment of his partner. The problem was it was like an addiction... everything about Kate fascinated him and she'd been acting differently lately. She seemed... well, he couldn't put his finger on it, but she seemed different; more mysterious, more distracted. He noticed that Gibbs had been more distracted too lately. He always used to work late, come in on weekends to catch up on paper work. Now he was out of the office on time most days... and when he wasn't he seemed anxious like there was someplace important he needed to be. There were days they hardly saw him at all... which meant he wouldn't know if Tony had a little fun at Kate's expense again.

They'd been out all morning interviewing some witnesses and he deserves a reward and heads to the break room for a soda. At the soda machine, inspiration hits him and he pops two more coins in the slot and pushes the buttons for a second soda. With a spring in his step he returns to the bullpen; where he gently sets the unopened can in front of Kate on her desk. "Thought you might need one, too."

"Uuhh, umm thank you, Tony." She was hot and tired after their long morning also and this unexpected courtesy from Tony takes her by surprise. She sits back, blinking in disbelief as her eyes go from the soda to Tony and back, wondering if this was some kind of a trick.

He simply smiles and returns to his desk to begin his report on the people they talked to this morning. He feels Kate's eyes on him periodically as she tries to figure out what he's up to, but doesn't respond. He has no intention of letting it go, but for now he'll let her sit there wondering about his sudden generosity.

Over the next week, DiNozzo is back in full harassment form with his practical jokes, innuendos and comments about Kate's personal life. She tries her best to ignore him until the point she is so angry she just wants to shoot him. She has always fought her own battles and would never think of telling Gibbs that Tony was back to his old tricks again. Instead, she sits at her desk, wondering how she should best handle this matter. She wanted to get him back, in the same manner as most of his gags on her, but nothing that would cause him pain or jeopardize his job... after all she wasn't that kind of woman.

No, she wanted to do something that would shock the hell out of him and leave him so shell-shocked that he would never consider messing with her again. As she types up her report now, her mind wanders over the possibilities... she could hire some guy to 'meet up with Tony in a dark alley'... no, tony may shoot him and that wouldn't be funny at all. She could tell him she's gay... and although that may stun him briefly, he would be only too eager to hound her for details of her 'girl on girl' relationship. What if she were to simply tell him the truth... she was dating Gibbs and they were in a long-term relationship? Her fingers still on the keyboard as she considers this outrageous possibility.

Hadn't she and Gibbs already decided that the team would find out about them as soon as she moved into his house anyway? So what was wrong with having Tony find out a month or so sooner? Her mind is racing now as she quickly formulates a plan that she is sure will rock Tony down to his socks. And, as the plan comes together, she can't deny feeling a thrill of excitement race down her spine. This surprises her because it's the most daring thing she's ever done... and now all she has to do is convince Gibbs to go along with it.

Unfortunately, this was a Friday and she wanted to implement her plan for the weekend and she'd have to fill Gibbs in on it after she put her plan into action. She purposely leaves her purse sitting open on her desk and gather's up some papers she needs to have copied before walking away. Once out of sight around the corner, she stops and peeks back to watch DiNozzo's head snap up and scan the room. Seeing no one else in the area, he is quickly out of his seat and moving towards her desk. He stops to scan the room again, then uses a pen to open the edges of her purse wider for his inspection.

Lying right on top, in plain sight is a small round plastic container that every man recognizes... birth control pills. His face lights up as his suspicions are proven right... Kate does have a new boyfriend! He snoops a couple more moments, but then hears papers rattling behind him and spins around to find Kate standing directly behind him. She glares at him, then leans around to glance at her purse.

"Find anything you wanted in my purse, Tony?"

"Aahh, no... I... it was open and... I was just... putting this pen back on your desk... and I couldn't help but notice... your birth control pills, Kate." He steps aside as he turns to put the pen back on her desk as both of their eyes fall to the incriminating pink container. "You do have a new boyfriend, don't you?"

"No, Tony... I do not." She ducks her eyes from him and starts to step past him, but he blocks her path, causing her to almost run into him. He smells blood in the water now and isn't about to let this go.

"Oh, come on Kate... don't give me that 'I only take the pill for my complexion line' cause we both know that ain't true! You're getting some and that's why you've been so distracted lately."

She sees her perfect opening and takes a calming breath as she slowly looks up into his sparkling green eyes. They are only a few inches apart and she hesitates just long enough to make her next words seem believable.

"No... I... I've been distracted... but it's not what you think, Tony. I... I... went on the pill because..." She looks down at his chest, hesitating just long enough to hook him with the suspense.

"Because...?" He lowers his voice, realizing this is something serious and not their usual banter back and forth. He suddenly worries what could be the reason and his mind whirls with possibilities of health problems that he never considered before. When she continues, her next words stun him into momentary silence.

"Tony... because your college frat boy stuff may seem like jokes to everyone else, but I... well I know the truth... and I want to see where it goes."

They are standing so close that when her hands come out to rest against his chest, she hears him gasp softly. He recovers from his shock quickly as his mind spins with how to handle this new development. He always fantasized about them being together, but in reality he knew she was way out of his league and never expected her to actually be interested in him. He clears his throat and keeps his voice low as he replies, "Well maybe I wasn't joking, Kate... 'bout time you picked up on that."

"Why don't we have a drink after work... and discuss this further?"

"Sure, we could do happy hour at the bar..." He smiles expectantly, but her slow shake of the head has him wondering if he's somehow screwed up already.

"No... too many people from work there. How about at my place?"

"Your place... as in your apartment... where you live?"

"Yes, Tony, my place. I'll even make you dinner and we can... talk. Say, about seven?"

Just then, Gibbs has entered the bullpen area and is glaring over at them suspiciously. Why the hell was DiNozzo standing so close to her and what were they whispering about? As he gets nearer, he catches only the last comment made by Kate. DiNozzo gives her his best smile and agrees to see her there at seven this evening... which leaves Gibbs wondering what the hell was going on. His gut suddenly knots up with instant jealousy, but he catches movement on the upper walkway and sees the Director standing there watching them as well. He controls himself and continues on to his desk to sit down.

As the other two realize they are not alone any longer, they quickly step apart and Kate grabs her purse, closes it and moves around to shove it back under her desk where it belongs. When she is seated she dares to glance over at Gibbs to find him glaring at DiNozzo. The look in his eyes tells her he is not happy with what he just saw. She wonders if he overheard them as well and knows an explanation is in order and quickly... before his famous anger flared and DiNozzo ended up with serious head trauma from being head-smacked. She sighs and turns her attention to her computer, sending an email to her boss... _"Conference room. Need to talk."_

The discreet ding draws Gibbs' attention back to his own monitor screen. He clicks on her message and then replies with his own email, _"In five minutes"_ Without ever looking at each other, Gibbs picks up his phone to make one last call while Kate stands up, gathers up her evidence and heads for the elevator with a quick explanation."I'm gonna run this stuff down to the evidence locker. I'll be back in a few."

Tony's eyes watch her as she walks away, but Gibbs' eyes is glaring at his senior field agent. He knew Tony had been back to his old shit again and just last night, Kate had jokingly asked if she could just shoot him. He offered to have another chat with him, but she told him she could handle it. Now, she was inviting him over for dinner? And where was he supposed to be this evening? That was his time to spend with her... and he'd become very possessive of his time with Kate. He glances at his watch and stands up as he realizes DiNozzo is staring at Kate's desk.

"DiNozzo! Don't we pay you to actually do something besides sit around on your ass all day?"

"Sorry, boss... lost in thought there for a moment, but getting back to work now." Tony sits up straight and turns his attention to the work on his desk.

Gibbs walks past him, hesitates and then adds one more instruction, "I want that report on my desk... then go meet McGee at the Jefferson Memorial to help him finish processing that scene."

"You got it, boss."

Gibbs jabs the elevator button with more force than necessary and when the doors open he steps in and punches the button for the garage level where the evidence room is located. His tension level is high as all kinds of thoughts flit through his head and he takes a deep breath to control his jealousy. He can't believe what he overheard earlier and Kate had better have a good explanation for it. When the doors open up on the garage level, Kate is standing there waiting. He steps back to allow her to enter, but they do not speak until the doors are closed and he has pushed the button for their floor again. As the car begins to move up, Gibbs suddenly reaches out and snaps the power button to off; stopping the car between floors.

"You gonna tell me what the hell that was all about, Kate?" He tries to keep his voice neutral, but she hears the tension and possibly a little bit of something else.

"I just invited Tony over to my place for dinner and drinks." She calmly answers with an innocent smile as she turns to face him now.

"And just what the hell am I supposed to be doing while you're on a date with DiNozzo!" His voice has dropped to a low rumble and this time she has no problem hearing the jealous anger in his voice. He takes a step towards her, bringing them almost nose to nose as his eyes burn into hers.

"Relax, Jethro. I have every intention of having you there too... to help me teach Tony a lesson once and for all." Her smile takes on an evil grin and Gibbs studies her for a moment as her finger slowly glides up his forearm. "You up for a little bit of exhibitionism?"

He realizes what she is up to and brings his hands up to rest on her shoulders, then pushes her back until she is pinned between the wall and his hard body. Their eyes remain locked and the moment becomes charged with tension as he gives her the cocky half grin that she loves.

"You sure you want to do that? You know DiNozzo can't keep his mouth shut. Everyone will know by Monday."

"Yeah... do you got a problem with that? We already decided they're going to find out when I move in anyway?"

"You know I don't care who knows about us... I just need to make sure you're only interested in me... and not that love sick pup." As he speaks his head slowly comes down and his words end with a slow, intense kiss that leaves Kate breathless.

She finally pushes him back, catching him by surprise as she playfully teases, "Behave yourself! We're at work, remember?"

He just grins and grabs her wrist, jerking her back for another kiss before he releases her and turns to flip the button so the car can continue up. "Yes, ma'am. How 'bout I take you to lunch and you can fill me in on this plan of yours. Then we can swing over and pick up those records from the Memorial Operations office."

They make the rest of the ride up to the bullpen level in silence and they quickly grab their gear before heading back out again. Unknown to either of them, the Director had recently installed surveillance cameras in the elevators after another NCIS team's prisoner claimed he was beaten in the elevator by one of their agents. Now the Director is standing by his window with a frown on his face, watching as Agents Gibbs and Todd leave the building together.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX

Tony is leaning against the island countertop, which juts out at a right angle to divide the kitchen from the living room area. He arrived just before seven, not wanting to be late, with a bottle of red wine in hand. He recalled hearing Kate talking with a friend on the phone one day about her love of a good Cabernet. He personally preferred beer, but Kate was a class act and he was willing to rise to her level if it meant holding her interest.

Kate is moving around her kitchen with the efficiency of a professional chef and he can't help but admire her grace. At the moment she had onions and garlic in a pan, sizzling softly as she stirred them before moving over to check on the bread in the oven. It was just one more thing Tony had not known about Kate... she was obviously a good cook from the wonderful smells filling the room. She finally stops to take a sip of her wine, turning to her guest as her eyes flicker over to the clock on the wall.

"Whatever that is, it smells good. I never knew you were a good cook, Kate."

"More like gourmet chef. I've trained at the C.I.A."

"C.I.A? I didn't know the spooks were into cooking?" His confused look is comical and Kate just shakes her head as she enlightens him.

"Culinary Institute of America, Tony... you know, professional Chefs?"

"Having my dinner prepared by a sexy, personal chef... I could get used to this." He sips his wine slowly, giving her his best sultry eyed gaze over the rim of the glass. He never thought he'd actually be here, in Kate's apartment having dinner and wondering where this night might lead.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Tony." Kate is quick to hide a smirk as she turns back to stir the sautéing onions and garlic. She saw the look he gave her and almost burst out laughing, but she couldn't blow it now... Gibbs was about to make his appearance and she couldn't wait to see the look on Tony's face.

Feeling bolder now that the wine was beginning to take effect and calm his nerves. He congratulates himself on his quick wit; slipping in his first hint that he wanted this to become permanent had gone over well... meaning she hadn't laughed at him. He can't resist running his eyes over her slim body again, lingering on her shapely ass as he envisions how this evening might end. Not wanting to lapse back into the awkward silence, Tony decides to press her for more information.

"So, why'd you change your mind about me?"

"I wouldn't actually say I've changed my mind about you..." In that respect she was answering him honestly. She knew what he was hinting at and decides to play along. "I just got tired of the games, Tony. A girl can only take so much... you know what I mean?" She glances at him over her shoulder and catches his eyes making a hasty track back up to meet hers. "The juvenile frat boy routine just doesn't work on a woman over the age of twenty-five. You need some new material."

Their eyes hold for a long moment and Tony wonders if the time is right to make his move. She seemed to be wanting him to make the next move, if her last statement was any indication. He slowly steps away from the counter; his expression serious as if about to volunteer for a dangerous mission. "Okay, no more games..." He moves closer, watching as her eyes flicker from him to the stove, turning off the flame under the pan. He stops beside her, not sure they've reached the point where he can invade her space.

A long silence lingers between them until Kate finally turns to face him and gives his offer serious consideration. She studies him and when she sees none of his customary cockiness, she finally nods. "Good, no more games... and no more practical jokes?"

"What? Like ever? Well, I don't know, Kate... there's always an occasion for..." He sees her eyes begin to harden, sensing that he is not taking this matter seriously and with a sigh he concedes to her conditions. "Right... no more practical jokes... on you, but McGeek and the other probies are still fair game."

"McGee and the other probies will have to deal with you on that issue... after all you are the senior field agent. And as such you set an example for the young agents to follow, right? They do look to you for guidance, so I'm sure you'd want them to learn from the best." She takes a sip of her wine and hesitates to allow her point to sink in. "I mean, just like we did. You and I... learned from... Gibbs."

She sees him stiffen slightly at her admission that she learned the job from Gibbs, but then he couldn't really say Kate had ever been a probationary agent. She came to them as a seasoned, highly trained federal agent with the Secret Service and he knew she probably knew more than he did. That was one of the things that intimidated him about her... and he'd used his jokes to cover that insecurity. He gives her his best smile as his head tilts to the side and he slides the conversation onto a more personal level.

"Since we're being honest here... I gotta tell you, Kate, I..."

He stops in midsentence as the sound of the front door opening and closing startles him. He looks towards the front hallway in time to see his boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs walking into the kitchen with two brown paper bags in his arms and a bottle of wine in one hand. He casually walks over to the counter to set the two bags down. With his hands free, he now turns back to DiNozzo and casually slaps him on the back. "Hey, DiNozzo... glad you could make it."

Kate doesn't seem at all surprised to see him there as she puts her hands on her hips and scolds, "You're late."

"You know how many stores I had to hit to find that fancy cheese you wanted?" He pulls it out of one of the bags and hands it to her as he leans casually against the counter in front of the bags.

She sets the package on the counter and ignores Tony's stunned expression as his eyes dart from her to Gibbs and back again. She steps around him to peek into the bags behind Gibbs. "And where else did you stop? Ooohhh...!"

Gibbs bumps her shoulder with his as she leans around him to peer into the bag. She steps back with a grin, having seen her favorite dessert in the bag. Gibbs slides over, blocking her view as he motions towards the stove, "You just concentrate on dinner. That's for later."

Tony feels like he's just dropped into some strange world where he is an unseen ghost watching real people in their real lives, but these are not just real people... this is Kate and Gibbs! They were acting like a couple... like they're used to spending time together away from work... and they were doing it right in front of him! Tony is snapped out of his shocked silence by his boss.

"How long you been here?"

"Ahh, umm... not long, boss." His nervous answer tells them he is at a loss as to how to deal with the situation presented before him.

He had never in his wildest imagination thought Gibbs and Kate could be friends away from work. Kate, in his mind, had always been on a sort of pedestal. Her personal life was a mystery and she only hung out with the elite movers and shakers in D.C. So, why was Gibbs here? Maybe she had just invited him for dinner too... but earlier, she'd made it sound like she wanted him alone... so they could talk. Tony's mind is racing as he tries to analyze the information and suddenly his eyes dart over to Gibbs, then drop to the key ring on his belt... how did he get into her apartment?

"Tony, its Gibbs or Jethro... we're not at work?" His smile is casual as he grabs Kate's wine glass and take a healthy sip from it.

He follows Gibbs' every move as one thing becomes apparent. He must have a key. And if he had a key that meant he came here often. He obviously felt at home here and the fact that he was casually sharing Kate's wine with her indicated they were pretty comfortable with each other. Kate hadn't actually suggested anything other than dinner and they would talk when she invited him... but he'd just assumed... hadn't she indicated she was interested in him? Their exchange from earlier today scrolls through his mind now, trying to decipher what she said and what he thought she meant by that. Was this what she wanted to tell him, that she was already involved with their boss?

"Hey... get your own!" She playfully slaps his shoulder and takes her glass back from him to finish its contents herself.

Seeing Gibbs smile playfully at her puts Tony on edge since he rarely ever saw his boss so relaxed or friendly. Sure, he'd been to Gibbs' house before, but even then Gibbs had seemed serious all the time. He tries to cover his unease at being in this surrealistic situation by stepping back to his original position by the kitchen island and laughing nervously. "I'd be careful if I were you, Kate... he's been known to give head slaps for less."

Gibbs is moving towards the second bottle of wine with the cork screw in his hand when he chuckles at DiNozzo's comment and corrects him, "Naw... I don't slap her head..." His hand snaps out to swat her ass as he passes by, "Do I, Kate?"

She yelps and jumps at his playful swat, but tries to look insulted as she glares at him. He ignores it and proceeds to open the bottle of wine before refilling her glass and getting one for himself. When he turns to Tony, he sees him downing his own glass of wine in one large gulp. Obviously shaken to see his boss laying claim to her ass when he'd been thinking about doing the same thing only moments before he walked in. Gibbs holds up the bottle and tony extends his glass for him to refill it, trying to ignore the way Tony's hand was shaking. Kate hides a smile and points to the stack of plates sitting on the counter before returning to her dinner preparations. Gibbs sighs and grabs the plates as he motions for Tony to grab the glasses and silverware and follow him out onto the patio where they plan to have dinner.

Once outside there is a tense silence between the two men and Gibbs busies himself setting the table as he gives Tony time to come to terms with it all. He'd been a little nervous himself about having anyone find out, but in the long run he knew it had to happen soon. This evening would be worth it if they could put Tony in his place once and for all, but right now he wasn't sure how Kate's plan would turn out.

Tony on the other hand is feeling like a rabbit being wheeled into some mad scientist's lab for more bizarre experiments. He recalls where his thoughts had been going only moments before Gibbs walked in and feels the redness moving up his throat. What would Gibbs have done if he'd actually been putting a move on Kate when he walked in? For that matter... what would Kate have done? He wasn't at all sure why she asked him here tonight and he wonders if he should just leave now. Before he can get the courage up to tell them he's leaving, Gibbs goes back inside. When he returns, he is carrying both of their wine glasses and hands one to his young field agent.

They both take healthy sips of the liquor as their eyes meet over the rims. Tony gets the impression he is being examined under a microscope and is just about to say he is leaving when Gibbs reaches over to place a hand on his shoulder. "Tony... glad you could make it. Should have done this sooner. Kate's one hell of a good cook. You're really gonna enjoy this."

"Yeah... aahh, about that... I mean Kate... you... here. Maybe I should go..."

"Why? You feeling a bit uncomfortable, Tony?" Gibbs can see the panic in the younger man as his eyes bore into him; leaving no doubt that he knew what Tony had in mind when he came here.

"Yeah... no... I don't know, Gibbs... I mean... Kate asked me here... but... you about ripped my lungs out the last time I..."

"The last time you what? Talked shit about my girl? Ogled her ass in front of half the division? Embarrassed her in front of all your co-workers for the millionth time?" Gibbs' grip Tony's shoulder tightens, pressing his point as he holds his gaze with deadly seriousness.

Tony feels his neck turning redder and drops his eyes to the deck. He sighs heavily and nods as he acknowledges the truth in Gibbs' statement. He clears his throat and sets his wine glass down, "Yeah, I should definitely go."

Gibbs keeps him rooted to the spot with his hand on his shoulder, realizing that it finally sunk into his thick skull. He lowers his voice to a more fatherly tone and relaxes his grip as he doles out some good advice. "Rule number one, DiNozzo... simple respect... for your co-workers, for the people we investigate... but especially for women. You said some pretty raunchy shit about Kate..."

"And... you said it where everyone could hear you... including me!" Kate's appearance with a large bowl of pasta has Tony's neck turning as red as the sauce. She sets the bowl down and comes to stand directly in front of him. She pokes him in the chest and when Tony dares to look up she is grinning, "But seeing Gibbs throw you down... all caveman like... that was hot as hell, I gotta tell ya."

"Hot? That's not really how I remember it." Tony's face is comical as he grimaces at the painful memory of Gibbs kneeling on his throat. Kate just laughs and pats his arm before turning back to give Gibbs a light peck on the cheek. She goes back inside to get the other dishes for their meal. When Tony looks up again, his eyes meet the blue steel of his boss and he finally understands.

"Sorry, boss... I..."

"Don't apologize to me... just take this as a wakeup call and get your mind back where it belongs. If it was up to me, I would have ripped your lungs out a long time ago... but Kate wanted to handle this. Now, have a seat... you're not gonna believe how good Kate's Pasta Bolognese is."

"Yeah... okay... so, this is gonna be an evening to remember." Tony picks up his wine glass and takes another healthy swig; feeling like he just aged ten years in the past two minutes.

Over dinner, Tony tries to pretend that none of this bothers him, but inside he still can't believe that Gibbs and Kate are dating. He even hesitates to call it dating... maybe it was more than that. He just found out they have some sort of personal relationship away from work... Gibbs called her 'his girl' and now, sitting here, holding hands and exchanging those 'lovers glances' leaves him with no doubt.

"So, how long has this thing been going on with you two?" His eyes dart from one to the other as they share a secret look.

"A while now." Gibbs was enigmatic as usual, since he wasn't exactly chatty when it came to his personal life.

"What? A week? A month?"

"More like five months, Tony." Kate smiles happily.

"Five months... that's like almost half a year. Wow, this is serious!"

"Its gonna get even more serious as soon as Kate's lease here is up. She's moving in with me at the house."

"Your house? I mean... well, yeah, it would be at your house. I didn't mean that, I meant... your house?" Tony is clearly worried about this decision as he envisions Gibbs' bachelor lifestyle. Gibbs gives him a glare, which has Tony hurrying to explain his skepticism. "I've never seen Gibbs set a table... or eat at one for that matter. It's usually pizza boxes in his basement or steaks grilled in his fireplace in the living room. Not exactly the elegant lifestyle you lead here, Kate."

"Oh, don't worry, I know... and he still does that. It's just that tonight we were having you over..."

"To humiliate me..." Tony raises his glass in a toast to show they had been successful in their mission. He drains his glass again, trying to regain his normal easy-going confidence, which seems to have deserted him tonight.

"No, Tony... that was not our intent. I... we just wanted to show you that..." She hesitates, looking for the right word, but Gibbs finishes the sentence for her.

"You've been out of college for eight years... it's time to drop the frat boy act and start acting like a man."

There is a long silence around the table as they sit in the darkness, lit only by the candle on the table. Kate looks from Tony to Jethro with a worried glance, wondering if they were too harsh on him. Gibbs just gives her hand a gentle pat as they wait for Tony to respond.

"Okay... point taken. And as my first grown up act, I am going to clear the table. You two just sit here and enjoy the evening."

He gets up and loads up his hands with dishes before they can object and heads inside. Kate starts to get up, but again Gibbs hand covers her hand as he shakes his head. She settles back into her chair and they sit there quietly sipping wine as DiNozzo makes a couple more trips to bring in all of the dinner dishes. As he is returning to join them, he stops in the doorway when he sees them kissing. Normally he would have backed up and given them their moment, but with his alcohol induced bravado, he steps out onto the patio with one of his usual wise-crack comments.

"Oh, okay... I see you started on dessert without me! Good thing I brought my own."

He sits back down and sets the dessert box, several forks and a bottle of bourbon he found in the cupboard on the table. Gibbs is slow to release her, even as she tries to break the kiss; holding her for one last caress. When he lets her go, their eyes meet and he sees the sparkle of excitement in her eyes. He expected her to be embarrassed at having Tony see them kissing, but instead it turned her on. He winks at her and settles back into his seat as he turns his attention to their guest. Kate feels a shiver run down her spine when her eyes meet Tony's across the table. Gibbs just smiles and reaches out to open the bottle and pour them each a healthy shot of the strong liquor. Then he raises his glass and proposes a toast. "To friends..."

They sit around talking and drinking and the conversation moves from work to personal matters, but now that the matter of Tony's behavior has been settled, they are back to being comfortable friends again. It is almost midnight when Tony finally shoves his glass away and tries to stand up. He staggers a bit at first, but then manages to stand with only a slight swaying motion.

"Ogay, I'm done... gonna go home... 'afore I pass out." He starts to head for the door, but as he staggers again he almost falls and Gibbs is quickly out of his chair to catch him.

"No you don't. You can crash here tonight... sleep it off." Gibbs loops Tony's arm around his shoulders to support him as he looks to Kate for confirmation.

"Noooo... I'm good, boss... really..." Tony is leaning heavily on Gibbs as he is guided inside with Kate right behind them. They head towards the guest bedroom at the end of the hall.

"Tony, you're staying here." Kate strips back the quilt as she agrees that Tony is in no condition to drive. Gibbs lowers his dead weight down on the bed then grabs his black polo shirt and yanks it off over his head, leaving him in only his t-shirt. Kate grabs each leg in turn to remove his shoes while Gibbs strips his belt and undoes his pants before tugging them off too. She tosses them on the chair with his shirt while Gibbs lifts his legs up on the bed.

Tony's eyes are closed and they though he was out cold, but he is still semi-awake enough to limply wave one hand at them and jokingly slur, "Ahh 'yight... nigh, mom... nigh dad..."

Gibbs has a sudden urge to head slap him, but just shakes his head and turns out the light. He leads Kate out into the hallway and closes the door partially behind them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay! I got caught up in work and had no time to get back to this story. Besides, it took some time to figure out which direction it wanted to go... so I hope you agree and don't forget to REVIEW or MESSAGE me with your thoughts.**

**CHAPTER X**

"Jethro, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shaving... you said my stubble was shredding your skin."

"Yeah, but you're using my razor."

"So, mine was dull."

"... and now so is mine. I buy the pink ones for a reason."

"You want razor burn... or this?"

Kate giggles as Gibbs turns to bury his wet face in the soft crook of her neck. He rubs his smooth skin over her throat as she tries half-heartedly to push him back. She sighs and melts into his arms when his teeth latch onto her earlobe with a husky growl. In the master bathroom, they are not aware that their voices are carrying down the hall.

Even through his alcohol induced state of near unconsciousness, DiNozzo registers voices. His eyes appear to be glued shut since he can't seem to open them so he turns his head towards the sound. A faint light coming in from the doorway gives him a dreamlike image as the laughter suddenly dies on a sigh, his imagination having no problem picturing the scene, but he drops off into a numb sleep before he realizes this is not a dream.

In his shifting sleep, Tony's mind plays out fantasies that he's kept locked away for so long. Kate is the star of his private dreams and he tosses and turns in his sleep. Images of her writhing beneath his hands, calling out excited encouragement as the rhythmic motion has him ready to explode. He groans in his sleep, his hand finding his hard manhood to stroke his dream along, but something keeps nagging at his brain. Pulling him back from the culmination of the hottest dream he's ever had, Tony finds himself rising to semi-consciousness with an odd sense of unease.

He lies there in the darkness listening to his own harsh breathing as his mind comes fully awake. His hand is still gripping his hard shaft, and he groans softly and slowly strokes again, just to assure himself his extremely hot dream hadn't come to a premature end. He opens his eyes and blinks at the faint light coming in through the half opened doorway. Through his lingering drunken haze he looks around the strange bedroom. Where was he? It takes him a few moments to remember the evening before... dinner... Kate... drinking too much... and Gibbs. As the image of his boss pops into his head, his cock throbs and he quickly jerks his hand away. He was not... not in any way having a hot sex dream about Jethro Gibbs... Kate yes... but not Gibbs... or was he?

As he lies there trying to recall exactly what dream had left him in such an achingly excited state, he registers a noise from his dream... except this wasn't in his dream. It isn't exactly a familiar noise, but a noise that every man knows if he's ever had sex... the creaking of bed springs. He lies in the semi-darkness, straining his ears to listen to the slow, rhythmic sound of a bed creaking under the exertions of people having sex. Then a soft moan carries to his ears and his cock twitches as he recognizes that husky tone. His dream comes vividly back to mind as his hand moves back down to stroke his shaft again. He has no idea what time it is, but as the muted noises continue, growing louder and more urgent, it dawns on him that he probably shouldn't be listening to this. It was like being thirteen again and catching his father in bed with wife number three... or was it four?

He forces his hand away from its task, even as he groans softly in frustration. He scans the room, wondering where his clothes are and spots them tossed in a nearby chair. He tries to recall the lay-out of Kate's apartment; and if he could possibly manage to sneak out without them knowing. The last thing he wanted was to have Kate discover semen in this bed when she came in to change the sheets. There wouldn't be any way to explain that one away. He needed to get out of here before his imagination took over again. He sits up, stopping to grip the side of the mattress as the room suddenly spins around him. He closes his eyes a moment and takes deep breaths until his world comes to a halt once more. Obviously he hadn't slept off his drunken binge from last night yet. He cautiously stands up and moves to the chair where he scoops up his clothes and shoes; not bothering to put them on as he heads for the door.

Wanting only to get the hell out of Kate's apartment before she and Gibbs realized he is awake, Tony eases the door open slowly and prays the hinges don't squeak. In the hallway, he is able to navigate by the night light plugged into the low socket, halfway down the hall. The door to Kate's room looms like a dark abyss. The door is standing wide open and he hesitates, cursing as he realizes he can't get past the door without casting a shadow in the room and alerting them to his presence. He stands frozen in indecision, just outside the door listening to the slow, steady protest of the bed springs. Being closer now, he can also hear the panting, the moans and the wet slide of deep, devouring kisses.

He can't move away as it dawns on him they have been maintaining this rhythm for several minutes now. He never envisioned his hard core boss as such a stud, but from Kate's moans, he was obviously doing something right. Before he knows it, his head peeks around the door frame to see for himself. His erection twitches again and his neck flushes as he stands at their door watching like some sexual deviant. The night light illuminates the interior just enough to highlight the bed's occupants; and Tony's breath catches in his chest at the scene before him. This was nothing like catching his father in the act... this was slow, hot intense sex that Tony knew rivaled any of his best fantasies!

The angle of the bed provides him a perfect view of Gibbs lying over Kate's partially exposed body. With the sheet barely covering his hips, his back muscles rippling, his legs tensing with each slow, powerful thrust. Holding Kate's right leg curled up along his ribs and tucked up under Gibbs' arm, rolling her hips up and exposing her rounded ass, elevated for his entry. His head is arched down to her breast, hungrily devouring the dark peak as she arches up to him in sweet agony. Eyes closed, mouth open and her head thrown back amid a cloud of tossled dark hair, Kate was the ultimate fantasy of sexual desire. They are lost in their own private world of pleasure and don't notice their spectator who has moved further into the doorway in order to watch them fully.

When a soft groan comes from across the room, Gibbs suddenly senses they are not alone. He lifts his head up as his hips come to rest flush against hers with his shaft buried inside her. Kate's soft moan of protest is immediate, but he ignores it as he peers over his shoulder at the silhouette of his senior field agent in the doorway. It takes him a moment to focus on him, recognizing DiNozzo standing there in his boxers with one hand holding his clothes and shoes while the other is wrapped around his hard erection, where it juts out from under the cotton of his shorts. As their eyes meet across the room, the silence is broken only by the panting breaths of three excited people.

Tony is frozen in place, having been caught watching them he knows he is moments away from sure death... but even as his heart races in fear he can't drag himself away. Gibbs doesn't move as he studies him for a long moment, watching him slowly stroke his cock. Gibbs has never been shy about his sexuality and this isn't the first time he's had an audience. He gets the impression Tony wants to join them and a thrill streaks down his spine at the thought. The moment stretches on until Kate's desperate whimper carries across the silence of the room.

"Mmmnnn... please... don't stop..." Her hand glides up around his neck, curving into his silver hair, but Gibbs' eyes remain locked on Tony. He waits to see what DiNozzo is going to do, noting his mouth drop open as he loses himself in the erotic show. A smirk curves the corner of Gibbs' mouth as another moan from his lover brings him back to the moment. "God... Jethro... I'm so close...ooohhh... yes..."

Gibbs allows her hand to draw his head back down to hers and kisses her long and deep, as a new impatient desire pulses down his spine. He begins to thrust his hips hard, but still in slow motion, eliciting another soft purring moan from Kate. She reaches into the kiss, sucking on his tongue and his cock throbs for release. Giving in to his own desire, he growls huskily as his tongue slashes into her mouth, twining in rhythm with his hips as he thrusts hard and deep. Kate moans into his mouth, surrendering to his rough possession as her legs curve up, arching her hips up to meet his. Trembling as each deep thrust brings her closer and closer to the edge of sanity he feels her canal tightening in spasms. His knees draw up under her hips, holding her up as he lowers his head beside hers, breathing in harsh gasps as he feels the tidal wave building in him. "Aaahhh... baby, feels so good... come for me, Katie..."

His roughly whispered words in her ear are not loud enough to be heard by their witness, but the effect on her is shattering. Her whole body trembles as a starburst of intense pleasure radiates through her; intensified by each strong, deep thrust. Her body arches into him, lost in the moment as she cries out breathlessly, "OOHH, JETHRO! Ooohhh yes...fuck me!"

Feeling her canal closing around his shaft, he rams into her hard and fast several times; then groans low in his chest as he tenses and erupts deep inside her. He holds her suspended off the bed as he grinds against her; prolonging her orgasm until she is gasping with the intensity of it. When he finally relaxes, allowing her hips to come back to the bed, they lie there panting heavily as their sanity begins to return.

When Gibbs can function enough to raise his head, he glances over to see that the doorway is now vacant. He lowers his head back to her shoulder with a soft chuckle, wondering how this was going to change things at work now. A breathless sigh from Kate makes him realize he is probably crushing her. He rolls to her side with another quick glance at the door before he flips the sheet up over them. She waits until he is settled on his back, then cuddles into his side and wraps her arm around his waist. She places several soft kisses across his chest, working her way up his throat until she nuzzles his ear. "What's so funny?"

"Kind of blew it on the 'being quiet' part, don't ya think?"

She giggles softly, causing a tremor to skate down his spine and his arm curls around her to hold her closer. She strokes her hand over his chest and admits, "I can't help it... you know that."

"Not complaining, babe... you said we should be quiet, not me."

"You think DiNozzo heard us? Oh, God... he probably won't remember... even if he did."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Katie... he's got a whole new perspective now."

What he doesn't tell her is that he also plans to have a long chat with his senior field agent about personal things. As he lies there thinking, Kate drifts off into a contented sleep, unaware of the changes that are to come. When he is sure she is sleeping soundly, Gibbs carefully gets up and slips on his boxer shorts before heading out to check the apartment. He finds the living room and the spare bedroom empty, realizing DiNozzo has slipped out.

Gibbs never considered his senior agent's personal life, but he'd overheard enough of his bragging about his sexual pursuits to know Tony liked woman. But there was something about the way he continually bragged about his pursuits that didn't ring true. Maybe Tony was overstating his prowess with women to hide something? There had been something in his eyes, the way he'd looked at Gibbs while he stood there stroking himself... was it Kate... or him that had DiNozzo so excited. Gibbs parks his car in the assigned spot at the NCIS garage; turning off the car, but not getting out immediately.

He sits there thinking about their silent connection and the look in his eyes. He'd seen that look before... in another man's eyes. Remembering back to his second wife, Diane... she'd been adventurous and enjoyed having two men in her bed. Gibbs hasn't been part of that scene since his divorce from her, but the thought of it now brought back the old thrill... the old desires.

What would Kate think if she knew? She'd been pretty inhibited when they first started dating, but now, five months later... he'd exposed a darker, more daring side to her personality. He'll have to tell her about Tony... eventually, but not yet. Not until he had a chance to talk to Tony and get a few things straight between them. He finally glances at his watch, sighing with the realization that another Monday morning was upon him and there was likely a whole stack of distractions sitting on his desk to keep him from this line of thought. He gets out and heads towards the elevators; allowing his mind to once again recall the look he and DiNozzo shared in the middle of the night. When the bell dings, he is lost in thought and pulls himself back to a mask of his usual stern indifference as the doors slide open in case there was someone inside.

As the doors slide open, Tony takes a step forward, then stops abruptly as he comes face to face with Gibbs; who is trying to enter the car. He seems just as stunned to see him like this and the moment seems to stand still as they eye each other warily. Tony has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and if Gibbs was intent on pummeling him for being a voyeur, then this is where it was going to happen. He had been hoping to make a quick escape from the office; explaining his uncharacteristically early arrival at the office. He had been putting off doing that follow up interview in Fairfax, Virginia, but today seemed like the perfect time to take the all day journey out there... so he could avoid the very person he was now facing.

"Where the hell are you going, DiNozzo?"

"I... uhm... that follow up... you know... Fairfax... the one you've been on my... I mean you wanted me to get done?" His nervousness is obvious as his eyes dart quickly from Gibbs' steely blue eyes, down to his hands and back up. Tony expected to see a fist coming his way any moment.

Gibbs can see the fear in his eyes and under most circumstances Tony would be justified in believing he was about to get a beat down. He decides to play on his fears and slowly raises his hands to rest on either side of the door frame; holding the doors open, but more importantly... trapping DiNozzo inside the small car. He takes a moment to flex his hands into fists, then relax them as he maintains eye contact with his young agent. Tony doesn't miss the gesture and fights hard not to take a step back into the car; which would put him in a more isolated and dangerous position. After what seems an eternity, Gibbs finally gives a slight nod, then steps back out of the entry and turns back towards the parked cars with a growl.

"Tony, with me!" Tony hesitates a long moment, not sure what is going on in his boss's head... or if he really wants to be alone with him in a car. "DiNozzo! NOW!"

Tony jumps at the sharp order snapped by Gibbs and almost leaps out of the elevator. He barely refrains from issuing his usual 'on your six' comment... it somehow had a different connotation after the events of the weekend. His mind is spinning with possibilities of what will happen next as he hurries after his boss. Obviously Gibbs had known he couldn't give Tony the beat down he deserved here at work, in the elevator. Someone may see them... hear the commotion in the elevator... or worse, see the blood left behind. His fear level has never been so high, but he knows to refuse his boss now would surely trigger the rage barely simmering under the surface.

To his surprise, Gibbs heads for Tony's car, not his own. He stops by the driver's door and waits as Tony hurries around to the passenger side. After another tense moment, Tony realizes the reason for his hesitation and quickly tosses him his keys over the roof of the car. Gibbs grabs them in mid-air, shakes his head and slips down into the car without a word; leaving Tony with flashbacks of being a Probie. Almost before he has his door closed, Gibbs is gunning the engine and taking off down the aisle towards the exit. He was definitely a man on a mission and the drive is done in complete silence.

Tony has no idea where they are going after Gibbs bypassed the on ramp that would take them to the freeway and central Virginia where the town of Fairfax was located. Obviously they weren't going to do the interview. He doesn't dare ask where they are going, because there was a real possibility Gibbs was taking him to some remote area where he would be pummeled. He didn't want to do anything to further anger Gibbs so he just kept his mouth shut and let his mind race with the scenarios of his survival... and there weren't too many of those.

Gibbs suddenly pulled off the Washington Parkway into a parking lot that would allow them access to the tidal pool basin and the walkway frequented by tourists who flocked to DC in order to see the Cherry trees blossom in the spring. This time of year, there the trees were not in bloom and there was nothing special to see here... especially right now at low tide. It was a good, deserted place for Gibbs to choose given the circumstances. He parks abruptly and gets out without a word, knowing tony will follow him without question. And as predicted, he hears Tony's car door close as he is striding purposefully towards the Tidal Basin walkway and the seclusion they need for this particular conversation. Gibbs walks until he finds a section well protected by the cherry trees along the path and then stops to survey the walkway in both directions. No one is in sight and he sighs as he turns to place his hands on the stone railing and wait.

"Low tide... not many people out on the walkway this time of morning."

"Yup."

"Probably why you picked this spot, huh, boss... fewer witnesses for a Code Red." Tony is trying to joke about his fears, but his voice betrays his real fear.

Gibbs turns his head to look at his young agent, realizing for the first time that he is truly afraid Gibbs is going to beat him to within an inch of his life. He was only messing with him, but can't resist one more little jab at his psyche. "... or a murder."

He sees Tony visibly tense as his knuckles turn white on the railing next to his own. His eyes fly up to meet his boss's and there is a long, breathless moment as he tries to decide if Gibbs is serious. Then it dawns on him that he must be kidding... Gibbs wouldn't really kill him. He gives his boss a shaky laugh, "Ha! Good one, Gibbs! You wouldn't really kill me... just for..."

His words trail off as Gibbs turns to face him now, his eyes boring into him like cold, blue steel. "For what, Tony? For looking over my shoulder to see you standing there watching us? For the look in your eyes as you jacked off?!

"No! Boss, it wasn't like that... it was...!" He once again stops mid-sentence as Gibbs' hand shoots out to grasp him hard around the back of his neck. Jerking him in close until they are standing mere inches apart with their noses almost touching. Tony froze, knowing better than to struggle as images of Gibbs' demonstration of snapping a man's neck come to mind.

Gibbs knows he has him right where he wants him and tightens his grip on the back of his neck, causing Tony to gasp softly as his eyes widen further. He keeps his voice low and controlled, "Tell me, Tony... what the fuck were you doing... standing there?!"

Tony hesitates, not sure how to answer, but knows if he lies, his last thought will be of his neck snapping. He drops his eyes from Gibbs, focusing on his chest and his deep, even breathing before he answers. "I... I was drunk, boss... and I was... dreaming... and..." He blushes as he realizes he is going to have to admit about his fantasy of Kate. It will most certainly further fuel Gibbs' anger, but one glance up at those steel blue eyes tells him he has to say the words. "... about Kate... but I woke up! I... it was so intense and I... well, I..."

"... had a hard-on, yeah, I noticed."

"But... then I heard you... I mean, I didn't want to, but... I did... and well, it didn't help." Tony again looks down in embarrassment at having to admit he was turned on by hearing Gibbs having sex. When he looks back up, he expected to see anger in the older man's eyes, but instead there was a hint of amusement. Tony takes this as a sign of understanding and shrugs as he continues, "You know how it is... like when I was thirteen and caught my dad...arrgghh!"

Tony's words are suddenly shut off in his throat by the viselike grip on the back of his neck as Gibbs suddenly clamps down and jerks his head in close until their noses are touching. "If you say I remind you of your father, DiNozzo, I will kick your ass from here back to the Navy Yard!"

"NO! Boss, no... not at all... you... you and Kate... that was hot! I mean, like prime triple X porn hot!" To his surprise, Gibbs actually chuckles at this, and a smirk stays on his lips as his grip on Tony's neck relaxes to almost a casual hold. Tony sees his chance at redemption and continues, "I didn't mean to watch, boss... I was trying to sneak out, but... I couldn't..."

Gibbs stares at him silently for a long moment, seeing the honesty in his words and trying to hide the thrill his words gave him. There may be hope for this boy yet, but Gibbs needed to push him, just a little bit further to make sure.

"So... it the sight of Kate's naked ass that had you so hot and bothered?" Tony's eyes widen nervously, but Gibbs can see his pupils dilating at the memory.

Tony knows if he gives the wrong answer, it could bring his anger back in a heartbeat so he slowly shakes his head as he takes a stab at the answer Gibbs wants to hear, "No, boss... I mean I saw... but I didn't really see..."

"So... it was my naked ass that had you pumping your cock?" Gibbs sees the look of confusion and uncertainty pass through Tony's eyes and he almost busts out laughing, but controls himself as Tony now vigorously shakes his head, realizing he gave the wrong answer.

"NO! Boss, no... I mean, yeah... I... I..." He suddenly stops as he sees the smirk returning to Gibbs' mouth. He doesn't know what he wants him to say and realizes his boss is tormenting him for his own amusement. Tony finally surrenders and stops trying to outthink the master of head games. He sighs and relaxes as he meets Gibbs' eye and asks, "What do you want to hear? I saw you and Kate, it was super hot sex... it turned me on."

"... and you wanted to join in, didn't you?" tony again drops his eyes, afraid Gibbs will see the truth in them, but he already knows. Gibbs chuckles again and releases Tony's neck as his hand slides around to gently pat his cheek. "You think about that, Tony... and when you know the answer, you let me know." Gibbs steps away from him, slaps the keys down on the stone railing and walks away down the walkway.

Tony is stunned by the sudden turn in their conversation... what the hell had he meant by that? And what would happen when he supposedly decided how he felt? Tony spins around to watch the retreating back of his boss and calls out, "And then what?!"

Gibbs turns back to him, walking backwards a few steps as he shrugs and calls back, "Then we talk about it... and I want that Fairfax interview done, today!" Gibbs spins back around and continues on his way, leaving Tony stunned and confused. He was only a fifteen minute walk from Fornell's office where he knew he could always convince his friend to go out for a cup of coffee and catch a ride back to his office.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

"_You think about that, Tony..."_ That? That? T-h-a-t... what was 'that'?

"_When you know the answer..." _Know the answer? The answer to what? That?

"_You let me know..." _Let Gibbs know... what? What 'that' was? Or his answer to 'that'? was it the 'one thing' like Billy Crystal in _City Slickers? _But even that movie never explained what the 'one thing' was supposed to be... did Gibbs know what it was? Of course he did.

"_Think about that..." _'That' could be a lot of things... their conversation, his voyeurism, his response to... maybe 'that' was what Gibbs meant. But did Tony really want to think about that again and again? It was already playing in his head over and over again; nothing seemed to distract him from images of Gibbs and Kate, locked in the hottest sex... It had already gotten him in trouble with Gibbs... why would the boss want him to think about 'that'?

"_Know the answer..." _The answer... the answer... what answer was he supposed to know? What would Gibbs expect him to know? Was this one of Gibbs' strange training techniques? Was he expecting Tony to analyze what he'd seen? Give Gibbs a break down on their action? No, he needed to know what answer would keep Gibbs from pummeling him as he so clearly wanted to do last week?

"_Then, we'll talk about it..." _Talk about it... TALK about it, like a father/son thing? No, Gibbs had made it perfectly clear he hadn't liked the idea of Tony comparing him to his father. Even though in many ways, Gibbs has been more of a father to him than his real father... he in no way thought of Gibbs as a father figure. Gibbs was tough, ultra-cool... in control, in the middle of... Kate... Tony's feelings about Gibbs were definitely NOT father like.

"_Talk about it..." _No, talk about IT... was that what he meant? Did Gibbs want to talk about what Tony had seen? About Tony's reaction to what he'd seen? Or maybe he wanted to talk about what Tony was supposed to be thinking about... and deciding his answer... whatever the hell that was supposed to mean!

Whatever 'it' was, Tony had no doubt Gibbs' last words to him had not been casual... it was an order and Tony had better figure it out before Gibbs confronted him again and demanded an answer. Sitting at his desk with his head in his hands; the phrases spin feverishly through his brain. What the hell had he meant? Tony shakes his head, trying to scatter the tornado of thoughts spinning around his brain. When that doesn't work, he pounds his palms not so gently against his temples while muttering to himself.

"Stop, stop, stop..."

McGee, had been trying to work while keeping one eye cast in Tony's direction to observe his strange behavior. He now stops and looks over at his partner while Tony pounds on his own head and grumbles to himself. "Problem, Tony?"

"You are so observant, McClueless! Yes, I have a problem! I'm never drinking again."

"Just thought maybe I could help... geez, sorry for asking."

Tony remains silent for a few moments as he now glances over to the younger agent and realizes he may have been a bit abrupt with him. "Probie, you ever have something stuck in your head and no matter what you do... you can't get rid of it?"

"Yeah, you mean like a song, or something?" McGee sits back to give Tony his attention again.

"Or something." Tony begins to gently smack his temples again, realizing the pain did kind of relieve the swirling thoughts momentarily.

"I always go right back to the source. Play that song, or whatever... over and over again and it will disappear from your head."

"NO! Replaying it will NOT help get it out of my head, believe me."

Gibbs is standing unseen around the base of the stairs listening to his agents talking. He stopped when he heard Tony's comment about never drinking again. He hides a smirk as he listens to McGee trying to help with his dilemma and knows what he is referring to. As he is listening, Kate comes off the elevators from Abby's lab and sees him lurking by the stairs. As she walks up to him, he motions her for quiet and can't quite hide the smirk as their eyes meet. Kate is about to ask what is so funny when Gibbs silently motions her on towards the bullpen area. As she tosses a curious glance back at Gibbs, she moves around the stairs towards her desk just as McGee speaks again.

"Well, it always works for me. Maybe Kate has a suggestion for you?"

Tony's head shoots up and he comes face to face with Kate as she stops before his desk. She obviously came in on the tail end of their conversation and she doesn't understand what they were discussing. When Tony remains silent, she tilts her head curiously and turns to McGee.

"Suggestion for what, McGee?"

"Nothing! Can't a guy get any peace around here?!" Tony jumps up and heads for the elevator in a hurry to get away from the source of his torment.

"Okay, Tony, you don't have to run away." Kate and McGee turn to watch him stabbing the elevator button; grinning as his anger flares at Kate's teasing comment.

"I am not running away. I just remembered I told Gibbs I'd have those cold case files sorted by the end of the week." And with that he almost leaps into the elevator and stabs the button for the garage level storage room.

Kate and McGee stand side by side, staring at the elevators in disbelief. Had he actually said he was going to tackle the cold case files? After he'd been trying to push that off on them for the past month? "McGee, did I just hear what I think I heard?"

"Might be a lot more getting done around here if more people were like DiNozzo... get to work." Gibbs walks past them as he comments, heading for his desk. He purposely doesn't look at Kate, knowing she would see the amusement in his eyes.

Kate and McGee exchange another stunned glance, then head back to their desks before their boss has any other suggestions to keep them busy. Once seated, Kate waits a few moments and then sneaks a look over at Gibbs. He is writing quickly on a notepad, but there is still a hint of a smile curving the corner of his mouth. She can't wait to get him alone and tease the truth out of those adorable smirking lips. Instead, she sighs and gets back to work, realizing it will be this evening before that will happen.

That afternoon they caught a new case, a flight line worker on an aircraft carrier who had been claiming a back injury and was held up from deploying back to Afghanistan. The only problem was his back was fine; he was running a counterfeiting operation of medical records and doctors examinations for other military personnel trying to get out of active duty. He stumbled on the plan during his own minor back injury about six months earlier, when the ship's doctor had forgotten to fill in all of the lines on the form. Having been rotated back stateside until his injury was cleared by the Navy's doctors, Seaman Fred Potts had simply filled in the blanks with what he wanted them to read. Before he altered the document, he scanned it into his computer for future use. When that forgery wasn't caught, Potts became bolder and used his computer programs to alter the scanned document, changing the dates of his light duty status repeatedly.

It wasn't until Potts' best friend and another sailor discovered what he had done that he had to accept him as a partner. And by that, his friend had demanded that Potts provide him with a medical excuse to avoid being redeployed again. Once they were able to successfully get his buddy sidelined in Norfolk indefinitely, they decided there was money to be made with this new venture. Not only in doctor's excuses from active duty, but in forged prescriptions as well. And that greed is what finally brought them to the attention of the Chief Doctor in charge of the Military Pharmacy, Dr. Randall Blackburn.

After Dr. Blackburn turned up in their offices to report his suspicions, Gibbs sent his team into action, gathering the evidence they needed before they confronted the two idiots who masterminded this scheme. He sent Kate and McGee to recover the light duty rosters and supporting authorizations for all sailors who had been excused from duty in the past six months. A quick call to DiNozzo had him heading out to Norfolk to speak to the Base Commander about their unusually high number of sailors on disability and find out what the base doctor had to say about it.

He knew DiNozzo was still too freaked out to be around Kate so he took pity on him and sent him on the long drive to Norfolk. He knew DiNozzo wouldn't get there and back before tomorrow and he'd be lucky if he was even able to catch the Base Commander or the base doctor before they left for the day. A couple days away would do him good and give him a chance to clear his head. It would also give him a chance to have that talk with Kate and explain why DiNozzo was acting so strangely this week. In the meantime, he escorts Dr. Blackburn up to the Director's office so they could brief him on this potentially explosive case if the media got wind of it.

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That evening, Kate is lounging on her patio chair while Gibbs grills them up a couple of steaks. She sips on her wine, deep in thought as she recalls all the strange things that have been happening ever since they invited Tony to dinner last weekend. She knows Tony is avoiding her and hopes their little revelation hasn't ruined her friendship with him... because that was not her intention.

"You think our dinner plan backfired on us?"

"Hhmm? Why?" He concentrates on flipping the steaks before he turns to give her his full attention.

"DiNozzo won't even look at me... and he's avoiding me like the sight of me is... well painful or something?"

She isn't prepared for the hearty laughter that erupts from her lover and she can't help but smile at seeing him so happy. He finally stops and shakes his head as he takes a long draw from his beer, then tips the spout over their steaks, drizzling the beer over them as they sizzle and steam.

"Jethro, I'm serious. I didn't want to ruin our working relationship... or our friendship. What if Tony hates me now?"

Even through the evening darkness, Gibbs can see the worry in her eyes. He grins and again shakes his head as he realizes the time has come to tell Kate the whole truth. He removes the steaks from the grill and folds a piece of foil over the platter to let them settle for a few minutes. Then he comes to sit on the edge of Kate's lounge chair by her legs and looks her in the eye. "He doesn't hate you, honey... he's just a bit overwhelmed at the moment and doesn't know what to do about it."

"Overwhelmed? With what? Trying to act like an adult for a change?"

Resting an arm on either side of her hips as he supports his weight, Gibbs leans in to kiss her with slow intensity. He indulges in one more kiss before he forces himself to pull back from her eager mouth with a sigh. When her eyes meet his he admits, "No, Katie... he saw us... that night."

"Well, yeah... that was the plan, right? For him to see us together?"

"Yeah... but he SAW us... in the biblical sense." He hesitates a moment, letting his words sink in, but when she still has a confused look on her face he adds, "In your bedroom?"

"OH MY GOD! You mean...? While we were...?" Kate's hands fly up to cover her face, stunned and embarrassed at hearing that DiNozzo was watching them make love. She suddenly recalls how Gibbs had teased her about not being able to keep quiet. Her hand snaps out to swat his shoulder, "You knew!"

"Yup. Looked over my shoulder and there he was... standing in the doorway watching us." Gibbs watches her carefully for her reaction to this information.

Kate slowly lowers her hands and holds his gaze as she tries to rationalize things. "You think he knew... you know, what we were doing?"

Gibbs laughs again and Kate is quick to give him another smack on his arm. Gibbs easily grabs her hand, trapping it in his own as he brings it to his lips for a quick caress. "Oh he knew, all right...and he liked what he saw."

"How do you know that?" She knows the answer as soon as she voices her question and her cheeks flame red as Gibbs chuckles at her again. "Oh, shut up."

Gibbs studies her for a moment, realizing this is hard for her to adjust to and decides to let her know how he feels. "Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. We accomplished our plan... Tony definitely saw us together. And if the way he was stroking his cock was any indication he liked what he was seeing."

"Really?! DiNozzo was that excited? Just from watching us?" Her embarrassment is still making her uncomfortable, but the knowledge that Tony got excited watching them caused a cascade of tremors to flutter through her belly.

"We just stared at each other while he stood there stroking his cock. Thought he was gonna come in and join us there for a minute..."

"Then what happened?" She is more and more intrigued with this revelation.

"Well, then this incredibly hot, sexy woman wrapped her hand up into my hair and demanded my attention... something about being sooo close?" He lowers his voice to a husky growl as he leans in to whisper the last words into her ear and he feels her shiver in response.

He nibbles on her ear, gliding his wet mouth down along her throat until he nips her gently and growls playfully. Kate moans as she wraps her arms around his back, drawing him in closer as she enjoys his caress. When he pulls back to look in her eyes, he can see the desire simmering in her and grazes his lips over hers before he adds, "It was hot... knowing he was watching... wanting you as much as I do."

Before Kate can reply, his mouth drops on hers with determination and her head is forced back onto the headrest as he demands entry into the sweetness within. He fully plunders her mouth with demanding swipes of his tongue and she gives him everything and demands more in return. It is a long time before he finally pulls back, nibbling on her lip, "Behave yourself... dinner is getting cold and you know I'm gonna need my energy for later."

She giggles and allows him to stand up, holding his hand one long moment until he turns back to her and she can see the evidence of his desire. She strokes her hand over the bulge in his pants and moans softly. Gibbs rolls his eyes, but he loves how eager Kate is touch him. He grabs her hand and pulls her up so they can go enjoy their dinner; because he has plans for furthering her education later tonight.

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Kate drifts out of a peaceful sleep into the quiet peace of early morning silence. The only sound is the deep even breathing of the man beside her and a smile curves her lips as she takes a moment to listen. Gibbs is lying on his stomach, his head on the pillow next to hers, his arm and one leg flung possessively over her. She'd discovered that no matter what position they were in, Gibbs had to be touching her at all times, even in his sleep. If he wasn't, he would wake up immediately to remedy the situation. It made her feel desired, and safe, and loved and proud that she could have such an effect on how soundly Gibbs was able to sleep now.

She smiles as she realizes it probably has something to do with the fact that she wore him out every night. Gibbs never showed any sign of not being able to keep up, but there was hardly a night when they hadn't made love at least twice... sometimes more. Gibbs was so experienced, so skilled as a lover that she was putty in his hands. He molded her into a new and exciting fantasy and even though she was feeling a bit sore right now, with Gibbs it was good, it was incredibly hot and she always felt safe. Like last night...

_Gibbs had rolled her onto her belly, lavishing hot, wet kisses down her back. He nipped her rounded globes; his deep husky whisper about how he cherished her perfect ass. Then with slow, patient hands he positioned her on her knees, caressing her with his hands as she turned her face to the side to watch. Then with a sly smile he bent to nip her ass again, making her whimper turn into a moan as his tongue slid down the cleft. Feeling his tongue exploring her so intimately, circling her while his fingers slid suddenly inside her wet canal was an extraordinary sensation. She'd never been kissed on her ass, not literally on the puckered hole and she wanted to move away. Then he groaned thrust his two fingers into her harder, in time with his stroking tongue and she was lost._

_At some point, Gibbs removed his fingers, dripping with her juices and replaced them with his throbbing cock. He knelt between her legs, breathing hard to control his own desire as he slowly pushed his cock deep inside her. When he was fully embedded, he stopped, allowing his wet fingers to now take over the job of stimulating her ass. His fingers would swirl around, dip towards the center and breech the tense ring of muscle briefly before moving off to circle again. Kate was moaning, not sure if she wanted more or less, but desperate for something. Gibbs' husky voice had drifted down to her, "You ever had it in your ass, Katie?"_

"_Yes... in college...mmmnnn... Football jock, all muscle except where it counted... he liked it that way." _

"_Did you like it?" Gibbs smiles at her answer, having learned something more about Kate._

"_Mmnn... no... not... really... he was too small... I couldn't hardly feel it... not like you. God it feels so good when you're inside me, Jethro..." She moaned again and pushed her hips back against him, urging him to move, but he remains still and she realizes why he is asking, "Is that what you want?"_

"_There is so much I want to do to you... with you... but I'm afraid I'd be too much..."_

"_No, it's okay... if you want it... so do I..." She again moves her hips back against his and he groans and thrusts slowly a couple of times. "Please... baby..."_

_Her pleading voice was almost his undoing as she again pushed back against him. He moved slowly to just experiment a bit... to see how she takes it. His two fingers had pressed in once more, going a bit deeper before they stopped when Kate moaned loudly. He was about to withdraw when she pushed back once more with a breathless sigh when he wiggled his fingers inside her ass. With a few more slow thrusts Gibbs had the timing down, thrusting into both her ass and her canal; causing Kate to gasp with each stroke as she was overcome by wave after wave of intense sensation. Wanting more, Kate arched back, turning to look at the tense control on Gibbs' face and huskily pleaded with him to continue._

"_Please... more... aahh... I want it... you..." Their eyes hold for a moment until Gibbs finally pulls his fingers out of her and moves back to bring his wet cock out into his hand. She continues to hold his eyes as he repositions his cock with one hand, while moving her hips to a different angle for his entry. He presses the head in slowly, unsure he can even breech the tight ring of muscle. Kate's eyes flutter shut and a gasp escapes her as he moves deeper, then stops. He doesn't move as he gives her time to adjust to his invasion, but then her hand comes back to curve around his hip, pressing him closer._

"_Ohh, God, Katie... you're so fucking tight..." he moves out slowly and then back in, moving a little deeper each time until his hips are flush against her ass. He stopped and again to let her adjust, but he also needed to take a moment to regain control before he brought this lesson to a premature end. _

_Kate moaned loudly, dropped her shoulders back onto the bed; panting softly as her hand once again pressed his hip closer. Gibbs knew he had to be gentle... he would never risk hurting her even though she was wanting more at the moment. He pushed in deep, holding her flush against his hips as he rolled his hips against her, grinding his shaft inside her as his fingers did the same over her clit. With a hoarse cry, Kate's world shattered as she experienced a whole different type of breathtakingly intense orgasm. Gibbs felt her go rigid, the contractions trapping him deep inside her body and he growled, "Oh fuck!" and pushed hard and fast a few times before he exploded, his whole body tense as his world was rocked by the intense sensations._


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII

When Gibbs woke up beside her, he knew she was awake. Her fingers gently stroking through his hair. He tilted his head, looking up at her to gauge her reaction to their activities of the night before. She gave him that sweet, Kate smile and he knew she wasn't upset with him... she had yet to voice any displeasure with anything he showed her. He wonders again how he managed to earn the love of this perfect woman... she was everything he could ever want; smart, tough, sexy and yet so docile and willing under his control.

"Morning... you okay?" He raises up onto an elbow, looking down for any sign of discomfort in her eyes. She simply shakes her head and gives him another smile, not wanting to admit she was feeling some pain after their experiment last night.

"Morning. I just gotta use the restroom... and I didn't want to disturb you. I love to watch you sleeping." She again strokes her fingers through his hair before slipping out from under him and biting her lip as she sits up on the edge of the bed. A slight change in her breathing... a holding of her breath before she let it out is not lost on Gibbs, but before he can comment, she is up and walking away.

He watches her head into the restroom and close the door without a backwards glance. Worried, Gibbs gets up and follows, placing his ear to the door as he listens intently. He hears a low groan and then sounds of Kate relieving herself. Another low groan from her is all it takes and Gibbs has the door open, stepping into the room with her.

"Gibbs! Geez, can't a girl have some privacy?" She is standing up, leaning on the counter as she reaches over to hit the flush bar with one hand while her other is pressed low to her belly.

"You're not okay, Kate... what's wrong?" She should have known his keen hearing would detect the soft groans she tried to muffle. She forces herself to straighten up and look him in the eye. He comes to stand in front of her, his eyes narrowed as he studies her expression... seeing the tension, the worry and for the first time... doubt. His hand gently strokes up her arm, coming to rest behind her neck as his thumb slid slowly up and down her throat. "Talk to me, Kate."

"Jethro... I'm... fine. Really... I'm just a bit sore."

"From last night."

"Yes... but it's not your fault. It's just been a while... since college... I wasn't prepared..."

"I told you... I didn't want to hurt you." His worried eyes tell her that he truly regrets causing her any pain and her heart throbs with love for him.

"Hey... I'm the one who wanted more... the feel of you... inside me like that... was incredible, but..." Her eyes drop to his chest, not sure how to voice her concerns.

"But...?" His fingers gently tilt her chin back up until she is once again looking into his intense blue eyes.

"But... you were right... as usual." She grins at him and when the realization hits him, he grins back. She gently thumps her fist against his chest and admits, "You may... and I say may... have been too much. Not that I don't want to give it a try again... maybe sometime... but I am kinda sore this morning."

"Oh, Katie..." He pulls her into his arms and holds her close with her head on his chest, he kisses the top of her head. Silently cursing his lack of control, Gibbs vows to keep a tighter rein on his passion... even when she is begging him to do what he knows he shouldn't. After a few moments he kisses her again and then moves her back.

"Come on, a nice warm bath is what you need... it'll help." Kate loves Gibbs when he is in his 'take care of me' mode. She allows him to start her bath, adding the soothing jasmine oil she loves before turning back to her once more. He kisses her gently and then taps her nose before stepping back and heading for the door. "Relax for a bit. I'll have breakfast ready when you're done."

Kate is a bit late arriving at work, but thanks to Tony's trip to Norfolk no one seems to notice; or if they did, nothing was said about it. Gibbs was his usual self, but he kept a discreet watch, noting how slowly she stood up, the hesitation in her breathing when she sat back down. He silently curses his lack of self control each time and decides to give her a break.

"McGee, get the car..." Gibbs stands up and tosses the keys to his junior agent even before his head comes up at the sound of his name. To his credit, McGee catches the keys before they land on his desk and is out of his seat immediately. Tim grabs his backpack, then stops when he realizes he doesn't know where they are going. Gibbs looks from him to Kate and then clarifies their destination for both agents. "...with me... Navy Pharmacy at Bethesda. Need to find out how these two morons were able to bypass all the online security. You stay... get those reports done."

His eyes hold on Kate's for a moment longer as McGee hurries towards the elevators to go get the car. He nods slightly, knowing Kate understands his silent message when a blush colors her cheeks and she looks down. Gibbs knew she was too sore to be out doing follow ups... she could man the phones and work on her reports for the day.

Once again their exchange is overseen from above by Director Vance, and he frowns as the blush blooms on Kate's face before she lowers her eyes to her desk. He watches Gibbs walk towards the elevator, then stands there for several minutes, watching Agent Todd. He tries to recall what he read in her personnel file; Secret Service, handpicked to protect the President, expert marksman, expert in hand to hand combat and held the kickboxing record for that agency... very impressive. But what about her as a person? As a woman? He had to admit he knew next to nothing about her. Kate was very professional and went to great pains to keep her personal life away from the office.

That is until the past few months. Vance had noticed the petty pranks that DiNozzo was known for when he wasn't kept busy. He'd also noticed Gibbs' monitoring of the situation, so he hadn't felt the need to step in. He agreed with Gibbs in that decision; let Kate handle it herself, as she was very capable of doing. However, the harassment continued to the point that it was disrupting the team. Then Gibbs stepped in, as he should have; putting the young agent in his place and ending the harassment. But then a new kind of harassment came to his attention, and this was something Vance couldn't turn a blind eye to. He needed to talk to Agent Todd and soon; preferably while Gibbs and the others were out of the office... like now. Unfortunately he had a video conference with their NCIS office in Southeast Asia in five minutes and he needed to get that out of the way first... then he'd call Todd into his office for a chat.

In the bullpen, Kate sits at her desk unaware of the critical eyes watching her from above. She is staring at DiNozzo's empty desk, lost in thought as she recalls her talk with Gibbs about the extent to which her partner 'saw them'. At first she had been shocked and embarrassed about it. Then she'd been even more surprised by Gibbs' reaction. She would have expected him to be irate, jealous, protective... but he wasn't. In fact, Gibbs had sounded like he kind of liked the idea... was he into that kind of thing? Kate smirks as she realizes there are a lot more things about Gibbs she hasn't discovered yet. In the short time they've been together, she'd already discovered a whole new side to her silver haired lover. She would have pegged him as a pretty old fashioned kind of guy, but he was definitely not your average vanilla. She glances from one desk to the other and then back again, a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Realizing she is still alone, she allows her mind to wander further off the straight and narrow.

_Jethro and her in the middle of their intense lovemaking... when she looks over to see the shadowy figure in the doorway watching them. She imagines her initial shock, then she meets those intense green eyes, holding his gaze as Gibbs growls deep in his chest and raises her leg up under his arm; thrusting hard and deep. Then she hears another, lower groan from DiNozzo and her eyes drop to see him stroking his cock; aroused and obviously wishing he was in Gibbs' place. Then he comes towards them..._

Kate's heart is racing and a soft moan escapes her, shocking her out of her day dream. Oh crap! Had she actually moaned aloud?! She takes a quick look around the room to ensure no one heard her. She clears her throat, disguising the slip as this... in case someone had heard her. She stands up carefully and makes her way to the lady's locker room... in need of some privacy! Once in the locker room, Kate checks to ensure she is alone before stepping into one of the shower stalls and drawing the curtain closed. She takes a few moments to think, but realizes it wasn't the thought of someone having overheard her that has her heart racing. It was her thoughts of a three-way with Gibbs and DiNozzo that had her panties wet.

She groans softly, wondering why in the hell she was even thinking about something like that! He was her partner, for heaven's sake! But... Gibbs was her boss and that hadn't stopped her from going after what she wanted there. She leans against the wall and turns her hot cheek to the cool tile, closing her eyes as her mind races. The tile does nothing to calm her thoughts as she is once again lost in a vision of Jethro and Tony, pressing her body between them as they both made love to her at the same time. Biting her lip to stifle another moan, Kate rolls her body against the wall, facing it as she spreads her legs... just like in her fantasy. Her hand slips up under her skirt, finding her wet core as she envisions Jethro impaling her with his large, hard manhood. She strokes herself with one hand, while her other hand curves around to spread her ass cheeks. She feels the twinge of pain as she fingers the still sore muscles there. That sensation combined with her stroking fingers has her panting hard. In her mind Tony is behind her, taking her at the same time... and with a strangled moan, Kate's teeth clamp down on her lower lip as she explodes with intense waves of pleasure rolling through her.

When Kate is once again calm and in control of her emotions, she peeks out of the shower stall before stepping out. She fixes her hair and makeup in the mirror, making sure her clothing is once again in place. The only outward sign of her inner turmoil is a sparkle in her eyes that nothing can hide. She shakes her head at her reflection, wondering how she went from being happy with an occasional date... to this woman who was obsessed with sex. In her defense, it has nothing to do with a change in herself... she's always been obsessed. She'd just never had a partner who brought out this inner desire in her. Gibbs was like a conductor, turning her body into a symphony of sensations... and now, if she had read his responses right, he wanted to add another instrument to the mix. Kate feels her body hum at the thought and gives her reflection one last grin before she heads back out to finish her day.

She is just about back to her desk when a voice from above catches her attention, "Agent Todd." She looks up to see Director Vance standing on the upper balcony, looking down at her. "If you have a moment, please?"

Her steps falter, suddenly wondering what happened while she was hiding in the locker room... or maybe she'd been seen!? There were no cameras in the locker room, were there? She takes a deep calming breath and nods as she continues past her desk and around to the staircase. Each step making her more nervous as Vance watches her approaching with a stern look on his face. When she stops by his side, he studies her for a moment before a polite smile graces his lips and he steps back, motioning her to precede him into his office. Kate's stomach does a flip as her anxiety triples. She walks past his secretary, who seems to be avoiding eye contact with her. Vance hesitates at his door, turning back to the woman seated outside his office.

"Hold my calls, please, Lois."

"Yes, sir, Director Vance."

Vance enters his office and closes the door softly, making it sound all the more ominous for the tense silence in the room. Kate stands at attention in front of his desk, waiting for him to be seated and address his reason for calling her in here. Vance doesn't go to his desk, but instead moves to the conference table, holding out a chair for her as he motions her into it with his other hand. She sits down, suddenly feeling like she's just been snared in a trap. She watches his every move as he takes the chair at the head of the table near her and sits down as well. Her heart is pounding hard and she wonders if he can hear it as his eyes narrow slightly as he studies her now.

"Agent Todd. You and I haven't had time to get acquainted since I've been here."

"Aahh, not really, Director, but I didn't imagine you had time for that."

"You're right about that, but I try to know everyone who works for me... even if I don't personally meet with each agent. I review their files, watch how they do their jobs... you know, observe when I can." He sits back in his chair, seeing her nervousness and wondering if she is afraid of him or the secret she is hiding. "You, Caitlin... are somewhat of an enigma to me."

"Me? I don't know how... I mean..." She quickly tries to explain, then realizes she doesn't know what he is referring to and therefore can't explain anything. Her words falter and she closes her mouth, deciding to keep her mouth shut until she knows what this is about.

"You were handpicked for the Presidential detail, you're an expert marksman, an expert at hand to hand... it's obvious you know how to handle yourself. No complaints in your file, no problems with any of your coworkers... and yet..."

"Has someone filed a complaint against me, Director?" This thought is shocking to Kate because she is always professional on the job.

"No, no complaint... just my own observations. I may be stuck up here in MTAC most of the time... but I see more than most people think. I've seen what's been going on with you."

He hesitates a moment to gauge her reaction to this... seeing if she comprehends his meaning. When her hands remain clamped together in her lap and her wide and worried eyes hold his own, he decides to explain. "I've watched you put up with the annoying antics of Agent DiNozzo for months. I've watched Gibbs sit back and let it go on..."

"Director... you don't understand..." His raised hand cuts her off and she slowly slumps back into her chair with the realization of what this is all about. She wonders just how much he knows, but keeps her eyes down on her hands.

"Oh, I get it, Agent Todd. Gibbs was doing just what I would have done... hang back, let you handle DiNozzo. It's not like you're not capable of putting him in his place... and you would have been within your rights to knock him on his ass for his behavior." Vance chuckles as her eyes fly up to his with in surprise. He shakes his finger slowly at her and continues, "Yeah, I know all about his juvenile pranks, his stalking and invading your privacy. But, what I don't understand... is why you let it go on so long? You let him continue until it started to disrupt the team... until Gibbs had to step in and knock DiNozzo down a few pegs. Why would a woman who's tried so hard to get where you are in the boy's club allow that moron to harass you like that?"

When Kate realizes he waiting until she gives some sort of accounting for her actions... or inactions, she shrugs and offers her best explanation. "He's just... DiNozzo. He's not a bad guy... and he's a hell of an agent. He's my partner and I was trying to maintain our working relationship while letting him know his juvenile pranks were getting a little old." She shrugs again and feels herself blush as she recalls how Gibbs had taken care of it. "I never asked Gibbs to step in and... do that..."

"No, Gibbs did what he had to do, Agent Todd. He has a team to run and he knew it was beginning to affect how the team functioned. You're just lucky he handled it in true 'Gibbs fashion'. Any other supervisor would have written you both up and been done with it. And that also bothers me, Agent Todd... Gibbs handled the problem with DiNozzo, but if I'm not mistaken... Gibbs has now become the problem."

The shock and confusion on Kate's face is obvious as she sits up straight in her chair, an immediate defense on the tip of her tongue. "No! What?! No, director...!" He once again silences her objection, but this time he does it by simply holding up the remote control to his wall mounted television and hitting PLAY. Kate's attention is drawn to the screen as the overhead camera angle in the elevator appears. She stares in horror as she watches Gibbs stop the elevator by hitting the stop button, then come face to face with her as they talk. Kate almost groans as she sees her hand glide up his arm, knowing what is coming next. When Gibbs pushes her back against the wall to kiss her, her hand comes up to cover her eyes, "Oh no..."

"Oh, yes, Agent Todd... it appears we have another more serious problem here, don't we?"

"When did we get cameras in the elevators?" Her mind is barely functioning as it reels with the possibilities.

"That's not really the issue right now, but since you asked... I had them installed after that sexual harassment claim by that female prisoner. Now, I want to know what the hell is going on, Agent Todd. At first, I thought you were the victim of sexual harassment by DiNozzo and I was okay with Gibbs stepping in to handle it... but now, I'm wondering who's harassing who?"

Kate finally turns her eyes from the screen that has gone dark again. His words have registered in her haze and she looks at him with a critical eye now. "What is that supposed to mean, Director?"

"Well, it's obvious there's more between you and Gibbs than him being your boss. No wonder he knocked the shit out of DiNozzo... I would have, but just how much control does he have over you?"

Kate holds his gaze for a long moment trying to decide how best to explain the situation. She decides to just rip the Band-Aid off, quickly get it out in the open. "It's not like that. Gibbs and I have been seeing each other for several months now. There is no harassment, no stalking, no intimidation and nothing remotely related to this job... well, except that DiNozzo's behavior may have been the catalyst for us."

"So, what do you call that?" He points the remote at the dark screen once more, but doesn't need to push PLAY again for her to know what he is talking about.

Kate sighs and tries to compose herself, but can't help the slight smirk as she answers, "That... was a one time... lapse in judgment... and it has not happened since."

Vance studies her for a long moment, trying to decide how best to handle this situation. As long as there wasn't any inappropriate harassment by Gibbs' he really didn't need to get involved. He was concerned about them working together, but if it had been going on for months was there a problem? He believed they could maintain their professional relationship and keep this out of the office. As if reading his thoughts, Kate leans forward in her chair, tracing her finger along a grain in the wooden table before she speaks.

"To my knowledge, there's nothing in the NCIS regulations about relationships between co-workers."

"Is that so? And does that go for a supervisor with an employee working directly under him... aahh, no pun intended."

"I do not believe there are any restrictions in that regard either. Unlike the more strict regulations I worked under at the Secret Service."

"So you checked that out when you agreed to come work for Gibbs, huh? Was that part of your decision to leave the Secret Service, Agent Todd?"

"No, it was not... but as I am sure you are aware, that was why I resigned from that department. I cannot deny my past, Director. All I can tell you, with one hundred percent certainty, is that this is NOT a pattern for me. What I have with Gibbs is special and I will do everything in my power to make this work."

He once again studies her for a long moment, debating whether to let this go or take action now to prevent future problems. "You're aware of Gibbs' track record, I know. He's not known for making things 'work'... but, I believe... if anyone can keep Gibbs in line, it's you."

"I don't know how true that is, but I can tell you... we are both trying to make this work." Again the silence stretches between them as Kate holds her breath, waiting for the Director to decide her fate.

"Okay, here's the deal, Agent Todd. I'm gonna put this little talk into my memory vault. We'll keep this between you and me, understood? Gibbs doesn't need to know... but if for any reason... this thing with you two overflows into the workplace... if anyone finds out...

"They will, Sir... we're planning to tell our team. And we know it'll get around once I move in with him next month."

"I see, so ... if anyone complains to me... that's it. I'll transfer you so fast your head will spin. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir... understood." She nods and then lets out a deep sigh, glad the outcome wasn't her immediate termination. When she dares to look up at him again, he still looks stern, but not as much as before. She gives a quick nod to the dark screen and asks, "As long as we're working out the terms here... can I request that this tape be erased? I'd hate to have it turn up again... you know at some inappropriate moment."

"Agent Todd... are you accusing me of keeping incriminating evidence for my own personal agenda?" His words are serious, but the corner of his mouth curls up in a half grin to soften the effect of his words, "Not that I wouldn't love to hold this over Gibbs' head... but you have my word it will be completely erased from the system."

She nods, not wanting to push her luck any further. His continued silence signals the end of their talk and she stands up to leave. She walks to the door, then turns back with a grin of her own as she asks one more question. "So... just out of curiosity... are there any more hidden cameras I should be aware of, Director Vance?"

Vance actually laughs at this and shakes his head in denial. "That is need to know, Agent Todd... and with your history... I think it best to keep you guessing. Now get out of here."

He watches as she gives him a smile before pulling the door open and strutting out with much more confidence than when she entered. Vance stands up to lean out and let Lois know she can send calls through now before closing his door again. He stops before the television and once again punches the button, bringing the elevator scene up on the screen again. He can't resist watching it one more time before he deletes the file. His finger hovers over the erase button before he punches it and watches as the image disappears from the database for good. He sighs, "Lucky bastard."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER XIII

Gibbs decides to give Kate a few days on her own to recuperate since he was pretty sure he couldn't spend the night with her and behave. They talk on the phone every evening. He sighs and realizes he's never been so obsessed with a woman since he was eighteen years old sitting in the bus station talking to Shannon. There was something about Kate... something addictive and he knew if he was with her the rest of his life, he would never lose this fascination.

He has only a little trim work left to do on his renovations and wanted to get them done so he could bring Kate over for the weekend and get her approval. He hoped she liked the changes... not that he'd done anything drastic. He had busted out the wall between the first guest room and his, allowing him to expand the bathroom to install the whirlpool garden tub and make the shower larger and more modern. There had also been room for him to double the size of the walk-in closet. Knowing how much Kate loved dressing to impress, she would appreciate all the space in the new closet. The only other change in the master bedroom is the new bay windows and built in seat storage he had added.

The smaller guest room had been turned into an upstairs office, just the right size for a computer desk, book shelves and their personal things. He didn't see a need for two guest rooms since his dad was probably the only visitor he got these days. Emira and his god-daughter came to visit, but ever since Mike's death, they'd moved to DC and had their own place so they didn't stay here anymore. He didn't allow himself to think about how the guest room used to be Kelly's room... or that he still thought of it as the 'kid's room'.

All he had left to do was paint the bathroom, closet and the two bedrooms and everything would be ready by this weekend. He is just finishing up his daily reports, having sent Kate and McGee home earlier since a storm was supposed to be rolling in and they were expecting it to be a bad one. DiNozzo had finished up his work too, but opted to hit the gym next door before he took off for the night.

Gibbs is just closing down his computer to leave when DiNozzo returns, freshly showered after his workout. He grabs his backpack and is about to leave when he hesitates; knowing it has been two weeks since Gibbs gave him his ultimatum. Having thought about little else since then, Tony had been waiting for Gibbs to demand his answers, but he hasn't made one comment, or given him one look about it. Tony decides to bring the subject to him; realizing he doesn't want this hanging over his head any longer... if Gibbs was gonna kick his ass, then he wanted to take his punishment and be done with it.

"Hey, boss... you done for the week?"

"Yeah, just gettin' ready to head out." He slips on his jacket and walks over to where Tony is standing by his desk.

"Got any plans for tonight? Thought maybe we could grab a beer... you know, and talk?"

Gibbs studies him for a moment and realizes he finally wants to talk about it. He hides the smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth and then nods his head seriously. "Okay, but why don't you grab some beer and meet me at my place. We can talk there."

"Your place?" DiNozzo seems suddenly nervous.

"Yeah... why you got a problem with that?" They are walking towards the elevators now.

"Uuhh... no... well, is Kate gonna be there?"

As they step into the elevator, Gibbs laughs out loud and shakes his head as he replies, "No... just you, me and a couple of paint brushes."

"Painting. I hate painting. So... this is my punishment, right?"

"Relax, Tony... you can sit and watch if you want... but I gotta get this painting done tonight."

"Oh... well, okay... I'll see you at your place. We gonna order pizza? Cause I'm starving."

Gibbs just raises a hand letting him know that is fine with him as he steps off the elevator and heads towards his car. Tony stands there watching for a few moments, wondering what's in store for him during the evening ahead.

When Tony arrives, Gibbs is already at work upstairs. He sets the beer in the fridge and then goes to call up the stairs, "Hey, you order pizza already?"

"Nope."

"You want me to do it?" He knows the answer before Gibbs' gruff comment returns to him and he can almost feel the mental head slap that accompanies it.

"What do you think?"

Tony orders the pizzas, then grabs two beers and heads upstairs. Gibbs is in the guest room, rolling a beige paint on the wall. He glances over and is glad to see him wearing old clothes; which meant he actually intended to help him paint. Tony may complain a lot, but there wasn't a time Gibbs could recall when Tony hadn't been there to help when needed.

Tony watches for a moment and notices something different. He steps back into the hallway, walks into the master bedroom and looks into the newly enlarged bathroom. He takes a closer look at the large garden tub and smirks as he tries to envision Gibbs taking a bath. Then it dawns on him... the bathtub isn't for Gibbs. He steps back out and glances into the newly enlarged closet, then spins around to take in the window seat. This is all for Kate.

Tony returns to the guest room and notes its smaller dimensions, "Not much room for a bed in here now."

"Nope. It's an office now. Guest room is down the hall." Gibbs gestures over his shoulder towards Kelly's room, but continues painting.

"Oh... nice. I mean that you'll actually have an office now... instead of piling everything on the dining room table. Saw the improvements in the master... nice tub..."

Gibbs stops working as he looks over to see the smirk on the younger man's face. He drops the roller into the paint tray as he gives Tony a glare that demands an explanation.

"Sorry... just trying to imagine you... in that tub... kind of funny, if you think about it."

"You think about me taking baths a lot, DiNozzo or is this something new?" He continues to stare at Tony, making him more nervous.

"No... actually this is the first time. I didn't mean it like... I was imagining you in the tub... more like I couldn't imagine you... taking a bath. You seem more like a shower kinda guy."

"Mostly, but I think Tim was on to something... bubble baths aren't all that bad."

"YOU take bubble baths?!" Tony is shocked by the deadpan serious look on Gibbs' face, but then realizes he is teasing him when his mouth quirks up in a grin.

"Well, yeah... with Kate... you bet your ass I do."

"Wow... just got a whole new image in my head... thanks. Took me two weeks to get the last one out of my head..." Just then they hear the doorbell as the pizza delivery guy arrives. Tony is grateful for the reprieve and jerks his thumb towards the door. "I'm... just gonna go... pay the pizza guy."

He watches Tony back out of the room, amused at how flustered he's gotten once they brought up Kate again. He rolls more paint on his roller and calls after Tony, "Bring it up here with the beers. We got a lot of work to get done tonight."

When he returns with his arms laden with pizza boxes, paper towels and beer, Gibbs finally takes a break and they drop to the floor to eat on the plastic drop cloth covering the carpet. For the most part they eat in silence or talk about work and Gibbs doesn't push it. He knew how Tony's mind worked and he would bring it up when he was ready.

After they ate, Gibbs returned to painting the wall, finishing all but the trim work in here. Tony did some trim work, but put the brush down when Gibbs suggested they concentrate their efforts on the master bedroom, bathroom and closet. He wanted to get as much of it done as possible and he could work on the trim later. Tony grabs the other roller, with the short handle and follows him into the master bedroom. This paint is a soft blue... almost lavender and Tony is surprised, but doesn't comment. It was definitely not a color he would have expected Gibbs to use, but then a lot of things about Gibbs weren't what he had perceived them to be lately.

They work in unison and the painting goes quickly with the extra pair of hands. Tony has always understood Gibbs' need to work with wood... or some other project since repetitive hand movements did seem to free up your mind. They have moved on to the bathroom now and as Tony sees the tub again, it reminds him of their need to talk. Gibbs has switched to a brush and is doing the smaller wall areas where the roller wouldn't fit. Tony moves the roller up the wall and back down slowly and finally breaks the ice.

"I did what you said... you know, thinking about it. Kind of threw me there for a while... you know, got hung up on what 'IT' was. Could have been a trick question... one of those things like 'the one thing' from City Slickers, or..."

"Wasn't a trick question, Tony." Gibbs doesn't look at him, but glances in the mirror beside him to see Tony stop, nod his head and then continue rolling the paint on the wall.

"Yeah, I figured that out... eventually. Which left me with the real question... the one I think you meant for me to think about."

Gibbs doesn't want to rush him, but Tony's hesitation needs some prompting. "And..."

"And... I gotta say... as nice as your ass is... and I'm saying this in a purely man to man, not in a gay way... I don't think that's what did it for me that night."

Gibbs laughs and this time he does turn around from his position, standing on the tub's rim to reach the strip of wall above the window. Tony meets his eye and the moment is just too funny not to laugh as Gibbs cocks his hip at him and teases, "So you think I got a nice ass, huh?"

"Tell me this isn't gonna turn into one of those strange, GQ magazine articles where the boss reveals his deep held secret of being gay." He glances over to see Gibbs taking a long sip of his beer and when he sets it down, his eyes lock onto Tony's and all humor is gone.

"No, but... you're not the first man to admire my ass, DiNozzo." He returns to painting and ignores the shocked look on Tony's face. The younger man can't believe they are having this conversation and knows he should keep his mouth shut. The curiosity is too strong and he moves his roller to another wall, where he can get a better view of Gibbs' face as he asks his next question.

"Really? It wasn't McGee was it?"

"No... not that I know of anyway. Guy my ex-wife introduced me to... back when we were still married."

"Which ex?" Tony's mind quickly scrolls through everything he knows about Gibbs' three ex-wives and nothing like this comes to mind.

"Diane. She liked having two men in her bed."

"At the same time?" Gibbs just nods and doesn't look down at Tony, even though he knows his jaw is hanging open. Tony takes a moment to absorb this new information; once again seeing his boss and a man he has considered a friend for years, in a totally new light. Then something clicks in his head from that night. "So that's why you didn't seem surprised to see me standing there."

"Yup... paint." Gibbs motions to the wall with his brush to get Tony back into painting mode while they talked. "Was more surprised you were conscious... and at attention, after how much you had to drink."

Tony returns to painting and blushes at Gibbs' comment about him being excited while he watched them. He doesn't know how to say this, so he just bites the bullet and breaks rule number nine.

"Yeah, about that... it's just that... you and Kate... it was so hot and I just... couldn't look away. I'm sorry, Gibbs..."

Gibbs keeps stroking the brush back and forth as they talk, moving closer to Tony as he steps along the edge of the tub. When he finally looks down at him, Gibbs holds out his brush to him.

"Dip that in your pan for me." Tony takes the brush and then sees Gibbs grin, realizing the double entendre in his words. Tony just shakes his head and then kneels to reload the brush with paint. When he hands it back to Gibbs his tone is quieter, more serious. "Would of asked you to join us... but didn't know how Kate felt about it. Been a while since I've done that sort of thing... since Diane."

"Kate... she was pretty into you at the time. Doubt she would have appreciated it... pretty sure she would have shot me if she'd known."

"She knows. Told her about it later." Gibbs continues to paint, but notices the roller has become stationary again. He motions towards the wall and Tony's arm moves up and down again, but his mind is spinning with this new information.

"WHAT? She knows?! You told her?!"

"Well, yeah, Tony." Gibbs jumps down from the tub and goes to reload his brush before moving to Tony's other side to work on that wall's trim.

"Did she ask you to pummel me? No... she'd enjoy doing that herself... and she hasn't... so that means..."

"She wasn't angry. A little surprised at first. She's more upset because you're avoiding her so much. Thought you were mad at her for springing that whole 'surprise dinner' on you."

"So, she's not angry?" Gibbs shakes his head. "She doesn't think I'm some kind of pervert?"

"Nope." Gibbs finishes up the trim in this room and drops his brush into the mostly empty paint can.

"She doesn't hate me?" The baffled look on Tony's face gives away his true inner turmoil.

"Tony, the only thing Kate hated was all your frat boy pranks, the invasion of her privacy and lack of respect. Why do you think she refused to let me step in for so long?"

"Don't know... didn't know she was the one holding you back. Thought you just didn't know what was going on... Aagghh!" He doesn't see the head slap coming until it is too late.

"I see everything, DiNozzo... and I wanted to drop kick you a long time ago. You're lucky Kate likes you... now, come on. Got the closet to do and we're done."


	14. Chapter 14

**I love the holidays, but I am glad they are over! Too much to do, too many people around, too many distractions. I am sorry for the long delay in posting the next chapters, but here they are.**

* * *

CHAPTER 14

Kate had always considered herself a calm, patient type of person... not one to draw attention to herself. If there was a long line at the market, she would wait quietly, smiling as if she had all the time in the world. After all, it didn't help matters to become a raging bitch and start screaming. Everyone else in line had places they needed to be as well.

Now, pacing her apartment for the millionth time, sipping her morning coffee, Kate wonders if she's reached the end of her patience. It's been three days since Gibbs was last here and although she's seen him at work that wasn't the same. She hadn't realized how addicted she'd become to having him in her life... until now.

He said he was busily working on his house; making some modifications for her to move in with him. The only thing she knew for sure was he mentioned adding a tub because he knew how much she loved taking bubble baths. But could that really take six weeks? He'd been working on this project a long time and insisted she not go to his house until he was done.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock at her door. Setting her cup down, she moves to answer it, wondering who would be there so early on a Saturday morning. As the door swings open, she is met with the sexy half smile she has come to love.

"Hey."

"Hi. You lose your key?" She leans on the door, letting her eyes scan over him as he leans casually against the door jamb.

"Nope. Just didn't want to get shot if you weren't ready for company this early."

"Possibility. Since I couldn't remember the last time you were here. It's been a while."

"Three days, twelve hours and... fifteen minutes." Glancing at his watch as he shifts away from the door frame and steps into her personal space. "But who's counting?"

She smiles as her hand snakes up his arm and around his neck, drawing him in for a kiss. Gibbs pulls her into his embrace and away from the door as he pushes it shut. His kiss is gentle, but demanding and it isn't long before his hand cradles her cheek and he draws back just far enough to whisper, "Gimme that mouth."

Her lips part as he devours her with a desire he's kept in check for way too long. Soft whimpers escape her as she melts into his embrace; giving herself up to the pleasure of being in his arms again. Each kiss blends into the next until they are both breathless and aching for more. Her hands slide down over his chest, hooking under the edge of his t-shirt. When she starts to push it up, Gibbs reluctantly grabs her wrists to stop their progression as he breaks the kiss.

"Aahh... Kate, no..." Her confused look has a tint of worry to it and he quickly eases her fears with another quick kiss before he continues, "Want you so bad right now... can't even tell you how much, but..."

"But...?" The worry is still in her eyes after not seeing him for three days her imagination had been working over time.

"...but, we got a lot to do today. Gotta get going." She draws back a little further so she can study his eyes in more depth. His expression can't hide his desire, but aside from that he wasn't giving anything away. He pushes her back another step as he pries her fingers off his t-shirt and motions towards her bedroom with a nod of his head. "Go. Get dressed."

She hesitates, holding his hands in her own as she tries to decide what he's planning. She begins to pull him with her towards the bedroom, but once again he stops her, holding his ground. She is beginning to get more worried now and it shows in the way her brow creases.

"What's going on, Jethro?"

"Breakfast, some shopping and then your surprise... that is if you behave yourself."

"I haven't seen you for three days and you're more interested in breakfast than coming into my bedroom with me?"

"No... didn't say that. I want you... just not now... not here. Now GO... before I let you ruin my whole surprise."

He gives her a reassuring grin that calms her worries and she finally allows him to push her towards the bedroom. After she has walked away, Gibbs takes several deep, calming breaths and runs his hand down over his suddenly tight jeans. He wanted her desperately after three days away, but he'd decided the next time he made love to her... it was going to be at home... in his bed. Now he was wondering, how in the hell was he going to make it through the day?

Breakfast was at the local diner Gibbs liked, mainly because they understood that eggs fried up in bacon grease was a good thing. Kate was a little more concerned with her diet and ordered the waffles with a side of fresh fruit. Her curiosity was driving her crazy, but she knew Gibbs wasn't one to let anything slip. Even so, she tried to get as much information out of him as possible.

"You've been working hard the last few days."

"Yup."

"Stayed at the office every night after you let us go home. Something come up at work I should know about?"

"Nope."

"Gibbs, come on! Give me something, here... the suspense is killing me!"

He chuckles and finally puts down his fork. He takes a long sip of his coffee and then sits back as his eyes meet hers. "Had that talk with DiNozzo."

"You did? About that night?"

"Uh-huh." He loves drawing out the suspense, but when her foot suddenly impacts his shin under the table, he groans in pain and then chuckles as he leans forward to give her the answer she is looking for. "He was shocked... at first. Thought you wanted to kill him... or you wanted me to do it for you."

"No, if I wanted him hurt... I'd do it myself."

He laughs again, nodding as he continues, "Yeah... he said the same thing. Think he was more shocked at me, than you."

"Why? His image of his idol tarnished when he saw you in action?" She can't hide the grin as Gibbs arches one brow up to glare at her; letting her know what he thinks of that idea.

"No. Just never suspected I'd be... so open minded."

"Well, you do come off as the overly private, jealous type... most of the time."

"Just because I don't advertise every sexual encounter like DiNozzo does? As for jealous... no, just protective of what's mine." His gaze holds hers for a long moment, letting her see the truth in his eyes.

With smile, Kate leans closer, "So... tell me what he said... about that night."

"Not much... said it was hot... said I had a nice ass, although that wasn't what did it for him..." Kate can't contain her laughter and Gibbs chuckles as well. He takes another sip of his coffee before continuing, "Told him I thought about asking him to join us..."

He leaves the last sentence hanging between them and Kate's laughter fades away. Her smile slowly disappears as she realizes he is serious. She needs a moment to process this information and picks up her cup to take a few sips of coffee as she holds his gaze. "And?"

"Told him I needed to talk to you about it first. Not just my decision here."

She can't hide the way her eyes widen, placing both elbows on the table as she lowers her voice to a whisper. "Is that my surprise today?!"

Gibbs' laughter can be heard throughout the restaurant and several heads turn their way at the sudden outburst. Kate immediately notices the unwanted attention and reaches out to playfully slap his hand, trying to quiet him as she blushes. "Ssshhh! God, Gibbs?!"

He continues to grin at her as he leans in, gently stroking her pink, flushed cheek. He can't help but be pleased with her reaction... most women would have been outraged, angry or just embarrassed to even be discussing it. But not his Kate. She never ceased to amaze him and he rewards her with a tender smile as he whispers his reply. "Aaahhh, Katie... I do love you."

She leans into the touch, suddenly emotional at the glowing emotion in his eyes. "But no, that is not your surprise... today." He notes the slight lowering of her eyes for a brief moment, her silent expression of what? Relief? Disappointment? He tilts her chin up and studies her for a moment, then adds, "Today we do some shopping, then I take you home... to your... to our home."

In an instant, the bright glitter has returned to her eyes and the smile he loves appears in full force once more. He had planted the seed and the rest of this conversation could wait. With that, he lifts her hand and kisses her inner wrist, feeling her pulse tripping along and wonders which topic of conversation caused it.

* * *

Shopping was a matter of picking up some food for the house, since he expected them to be staying there this weekend. Everything else they needed would be determined after Kate's belongings were moved over and they could consolidate everything. They would definitely have some duplication of items, but he'd let Kate decide what stayed and what got replaced.

Pulling up in the driveway, Kate leans forward to give the exterior of the house a good inspection. She didn't see anything different from this angle anyway. Gibbs tries to hide his smirk at her inspection; knowing she has no idea what he's done to the house. As they gather their groceries and head inside, the first thing she noticed was a lock on the front door. A deadbolt lock and a new doorknob with a lock.

"You installed locks on the front door... planning to keep me locked in?"

"Nope... just don't want anyone walking in while I'm chasing you naked around the house."

"Good idea." She leans over to give him a quick peck on the cheek before heading into the kitchen.

Nothing appeared to be different in there, at least until Gibbs began opening cupboards to show her they had been cleaned out to make room for whatever she wanted to put in them. She'd once teased him about having a 'bachelor's kitchen' because nothing matched and he didn't have a complete set of anything.

"Made room for you to bring your stuff in... at least it's all matched sets."

"Jethro, you didn't have to do that. We could have..." She is stopped mid-sentence by a kiss.

"This is your house now, Kate... besides, the kitchen is your domain; you should have it how you want it."

She just smiles, trying not to give in to the tears that had been threatening all morning. She didn't know if her emotional state was due to her hyper-awareness or just the intense nervousness of actually making this move into Gibbs' home. She decides kitchen cabinets were not something that warranted tears of joy so she fights them back and goes about putting away the groceries they purchased.

With that chore done, Gibbs takes her hand and heads back into the living room. He gives her a moment to look around, knowing she is mentally thinking about furniture placement. He points to his old recliner, "I have one request..."

"Which is?" Kate turns to face him, wondering what this first ultimatum will be.

"My recliner. I love that chair... I'd like to keep it."

Kate gives his request serious consideration, turning to examine the black leather chair. It has some wear, but isn't bad looking and would actually fit in nicely with her furniture. She runs a hand over it and then playfully turns back to face him.

"This old chair? That we christened on our, what? Third date?"

"Ahh, yea... third, and a few others." His smirk told her he recalled each time they had made love in that particular chair.

"You know, we've made love on that sofa a few times as well. But you're okay with getting rid of it?"

"Well... kinda figured we'd want something in the basement that's more comfortable than my boat frame."

Kate can't keep a straight face any longer and wraps her arms around his neck, drawing him into a kiss as she laughs. He chuckles as well and then hugs her tightly as she teases, "Glad to see you put so much thought into this, Gibbs. I thought maybe you'd be more set in your ways."

"I am... I'm just flexible on furniture. Now come upstairs so I can show you the other changes I've made for you."

He leads her up the stairs, her eyes scanning in all directions to detect any changes. At first she doesn't see anything, but then they step into what used to be the guest room. She sees it has now been set up as an office. She looks around, realizing something is off; then steps out into the hallway, glancing down the hall and back into the room. "You made it into an office... did you move the wall?"

"Had to make room... and the office didn't neet to be that big. Go look."

He follows her into the master bedroom, waiting by the door as she stops to glance around, then turn towards the bathroom. She steps in and her hands come up to cover the slight gasp of amazement as she sees the large whirlpool tub he installed in there. It is tucked away under a new window that is constructed of glass blocks so light can come in, but no one can see into the room. She steps closer and runs her fingers over the thoughtfully placed accent shelves which were perfect for holding her assortment of bath oils, bubbles and candles. The added space also provided for a new, larger linen closet tucked into the other corner. As she turns back towards Gibbs, he is leaning on the door frame, watching closely for her reaction. She takes one last look around and then notices that he also made the shower stall larger, removed the tub base and created a true walk in shower; tiled in various hues of small blue green tiles.

Without a word, she steps up to him, her arms circling around his waist as she leans in to give him a gentle kiss. "Jethro... I'm... it's... perfect."

"And I thought you'd be more impressed with the closet... considering the size of your shoe collection."

"Closet? You changed the closet?" He smirks as her head snaps back and her eyes sparkle with interest. She quickly steps around him and heads for the closet. Opening the door, she steps into the previously moderate walk in closet to find it has doubled in size. Her hand again goes to her mouth, trying to cover the gasp of surprise. Gibbs has moved all of his clothing to one side, which only takes up a quarter of the space. She moves into the deepest portion of the new room, turning around slowly to examine the built in shelves, shoe racks and discreet jewelry cabinet.

His thoughtfulness is too much and Kate can no longer hold back the tears as she turns her back to him. Gibbs slowly follows her into the closet, wondering what she is staring at back there. He comes up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he places a soft kiss on her throat. Her soft sob surprises him and he quickly turns her around in his arms; shocked to see tears streaming down her face.

"Hey... hey, honey... what's wrong?" When she lowers her face, trying to hide her emotional outburst from him, he gently lifts her chin. He kisses her tear stained cheeks, soothing her without words. His thumb gently caresses her cheek, calming her as he tries to keep his increasing worry under control. "Kate, baby... talk to me."

"I... it's just... oh, Jethro... it's just so perfect." She tries to smile, then laughs at her own silly tears.

"So... these are happy tears?" He finally understands and grins at her in return as he wipes away another errant tear. "Okay... I can live with happy tears."

She nods and melts into his embrace, hugging him tightly as she fights to keep the tears away. After several moments, she is calmer and he gently strokes her back as he finally asks, "So... you like it?"

"Yes... God, yes... I mean, it's perfect... all of it. And you worked so hard... and you were so secretive about it..."

"Well, DiNozzo knew. He helped me do the painting... wanted it to be a surprise."

"It is... believe me. I never expected you to do all this... I love it. Thank you!" She pulls back and gently strokes her hand down along his jaw, bringing his mouth to hers for a slow, intense kiss.

Their pent up passion quickly boils to the surface as Gibbs' hand cradles the back of her head as he deepens the kiss with an impatience she matches. Their tongues twine urgently, seeking the sweetness they have missed. When Gibbs finally pulls back, he can't quite give up possession of her lips, so he continues to place gentle little kisses on them as he huskily whispers to her.

"You... only have... one... decision to make... right now..."

"When... to move... in?" Her heart is racing and she is having trouble following his words as he presses her hips firmly against his.

"No... that's... already settled..."

"Then... uuhh... what?" His mouth has now trailed around to her ear where his teeth have gently latched onto her lobe, causing shivers to run down her spine.

"Which one do... you want to christen? The new tub, the shower... the closet..."

She chuckles as she pushes him back gently in order to look into his eyes. She shakes her head back and forth slowly, and a frown creases his brow. "Oh no... you're not getting off that easy, buddy. I plan on having my way with you in all of them. It's been three days... and I don't intend to wait a minute longer, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am... I do." He holds her gaze as he slowly backs her up to the only flat wall space in the closet. His body presses into her firmly as his mouth once again descends on hers.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Gibbs slowly woke from a restful sleep; reluctant to let go of the images playing through his mind. Thoughts of Kate caused an automatic response in him to reach out and draw her closer, but as he turned to her side of the bed, he found it empty. His eyes slowly open in the pre-dawn light and it takes him a moment to adjust to the murky shadows beginning to form. Kate was not in bed with him.

He is just about to turn over, but then he suddenly sees a huddled form on the newly constructed window seat and lies still as he watches Kate for a few moments. He would never get tired of looking at her... and now, in this soft light of early morning, she looked beautiful, waiting there to meet the morning. She was leaning back on the window frame, her knees curled up in front of her and her arms loosely circling her knees. A smile curves just the corner of her mouth; creating a scene of contentment, serenity and love.

Gibbs watches as she leans her head back against the wooden frame as the first rays of the sun rise above the horizon to touch her face. It takes his breath away to see it, but then a single tear trickles down her cheek. Was it sadness? Regret? Or simply more happy tears... as they had been last night. He debates whether he should intrude by going to her and asking what is wrong. Should he pretend not to have seen them? Ignore her emotional times as he'd done in the past with his previous wives? Suddenly Gibbs knew that was not the answer... he was divorced three times so whatever he'd done in those relationships... he was not going to do now. He silently slips out of bed and comes to stand next to her as he gently squeezes her shoulder, "Katie, what's wrong?"

"Ohh, nothing... just being a silly girl again." She turns to smile up at him and he is relieved to see these are apparently more happy tears. She takes his hand and kisses it, then urges him to sit down opposite her, leaning against the other window frame with his legs stretched out on either side of hers. She quickly dabs away the errant tear and gestures towards the rising sun, "It's just so... perfect here."

He isn't sure what to say to that so he just smiles and holds her eyes as she gets her emotions under control. She gently runs her hand over the window seat, the arched windows surrounding them and then looks once more out at the morning sun. "How did you know?"

"What?"

"That I would love this seat... that it's what I've always dreamed of having?"

"I thought about waking up, like I did today and seeing you sitting here waiting for the morning sun. It just seemed like something I wanted to see every day. You're so beautiful... just now... like this, lit by the soft light."

"You've been holding out on me... keeping this romantic side hidden behind your tough guy image."

"Nah... told you that first night I was a nice guy. Didn't think it was necessary to get all mushy about it. Besides, I gotta keep some stuff back... to surprise you with now and then."

He winks at her and she can't hide the happy smile that lights up her face and makes her eyes sparkle. It's a look he loves and he silently gives thanks for his decision to put in the window seat. They take a moment to watch the morning out the windows, loving the thicket of trees behind his house which gives them some privacy. His attention is drawn back to his lover when she slowly begins to slither forward, snaking her body between his legs as she lays over him.

She lazily nuzzles her way up his legs, pressing light kisses to his lightly furred thighs. Her hands glide up the outside of his legs, coming to rest on his hips as she settles in with her face now hovering over his boxers. Gibbs watches motionless with anticipation, even after their intense night of making love, he feels the stirring need once again. His hand glides softly through her hair, stroking it to the side as she begins to place more gentle kisses across the material.

"When did you put your boxers back on?"

"When I got up to hit the head a couple hours ago. Why? Does it bother you?"

"No... just a waste of time when I keep taking them off you." Her mouth is now tugging at the material, easing the waistband down over the quickly rising bulge.

"Habit. In the Corp you never slept in the buff... bit embarrassing if you got rousted out of bed in nothing but your birthday suit."

"Hhmm, part of that always being prepared stuff? I can see that. You want me to wear something to bed... in case we get rousted out of bed in a hurry?"

"No! I like you in your birthday suit... gives me an incentive to come back to bed... or the tub, or the shower... or the closet..." He feels her body shaking with silent laughter at his joke and chuckles with her.

"You said I could choose where I wanted it... and I did." She uses her hands to tug his boxers down and he lifts his hips to help the process along. She moves them down his legs and away, then turns her attention back to her main objective.

"Aahh... think we set a record last night... once in the closet, twice in the tub, twice in bed and..."

"Three times in bed... once after you made love to me in the shower."

"Uh-huh... seven times. That's a record for me... even if I was a bit worked up after not seeing you for three days."

"Really, it was only like... twice per day... with that one little... okay, big bonus thrown in there." She giggles at her joke as he gently head slaps her. She continues to nuzzle his belly and chest, kissing, nibbling and licking lazily in her exploration.

As her laughter settles down, she sighs and strokes her tongue up over the hard shaft throbbing against her breasts. Gibbs groans softly, letting his head fall back as he enjoys her caress. His eyes roam up over her bare legs, perfectly curved ass and gently arched back to her flowing hair, slowly bobbing up and down as her mouth glides slowly down his length and back up again.

She takes her time in arousing him, wanting to draw out her torture and let him know exactly how much she appreciates what he did for her. Each time she feels him tensing, drawing his hips up to thrust into her mouth, she draws back, changes her caress and allows his simmering passion to calm a bit. His deep growls cause her pulse to trip along faster, knowing his struggle to contain his passion and remain still.

His hands glide down her back, then press into her as he pulls back up to her shoulders, moving her mouth down along his shaft once again and making him groan once more. He knows he can't take much more of her torture and forces himself to end it as he cradles her head and gently lifts. He sees her frown, having been removed from her task and he huskily praises her as he urges her to sit up.

"Baby... you know I love what you do to me..." He leans in to kiss her, "... feels so good...' Another kiss, deeper this time as he allows his tongue to seek out hers. "...but I need you... now."

Kate slides into his lap, gently easing him back again as she positions herself over his throbbing shaft and then slowly eases herself down until he groans huskily and breaks the kiss. She sits motionless, impaled on his shaft as her arms curl up around his neck, holding him close as she now nibbles on his lower lip. She places her knees along his thighs to balance her movements. His hands grip her hips, holding her still as his head falls back, taking short, quick breaths to calm himself from the sensory overload once again.

She continues to slowly pepper soft kisses across his face as she slowly grinds her hips against his, causing another growl of pleasure as his fingers dig into her hips. He guides her hips, only allowing small rotating movements as her lips move to nibble on his ear as she whispers, "Our new record is eight."

They spend long minutes lost in long, deep kisses letting their passion simmer until the tension is unbearable. Gibbs' hand glides up her side, scooping up her breast and breaking away from her lips to drop his mouth around her taut nipple. A husky cry escapes her as he hungrily mauls her breast, arching her back in surrender to him. Her hips rise up in response, only to be dragged back down onto his shaft. His arms encircle her waist, holding her still as he ravages first one breast then the other. Tremors race through her body as her fingers rake the back of his neck, urging him on.

"Oohh, God... Jethro..." Her hips grind against his impatiently, seeking the deeper penetration she craves. "Please..."

His head comes back and he looks into her lust-filled eyes, knowing he'll never tire of this sight. He hesitates a moment to lean in and kiss her with slow, intense passion; then holds her close and shifts to place his feet on the floor. He stands up as she clings to him and takes the few steps necessary to deposit her on the bed; without ever breaking the intimate contact between them. Standing over her, he hooks his arm behind her knee before locking his arm out to support his weight by her head. He does the same with his other arm and then takes a moment to look down at her, so willingly bent to his wishes. He holds her gaze as he slowly pulls his shaft out and she whimpers in protest. He rocks his hips, causing his cock to glide along her sex, back and forth until her fingers curl around his forearms in silent desperation. He continues to rub against her clit, causing t tremors to spiral through her as he brings her closer and closer to the edge. Her mouth is open, panting softly as her tongue darts out to flick across her lips and he groans as he presses against her harder.

"Mmmnnn... you are so fucking hot, Kate..." He bends his arms enough to bring his mouth to hers in a rough, demanding kiss that leaves them both gasping for air. As he pulls back, he finally ends his torture and allows his cock to ease back inside her, driving slowly until he is once again buried inside her. He takes a moment to control his surging passion and then begins rocking his hips into her. He keeps his cock buried deep inside her, but rotates his hips and rocks into her. His hips grinding against her, rolling her hips up with each thrust until Kate is lost in such an intense wave of pleasure she arches her head back and cries out his name over and over again.

He continues to move, riding out her orgasm as her body trembles and spasms beneath him. Watching her come undone in his arms is too much and he feels his own release crashing forth. His head drops to his chest as he thrusts hard and deep, driving into her one last time as his life fluids explode deep inside her. His whole body tenses as he growls deep in his chest and then collapses onto her with a breathless sigh, "Oh... baby."

Kate wraps her arms around him as he releases her legs and scoots them up until they are both lying on the bed sideways. They lie there enjoying the fading embers of their loving; trading soft kisses and caresses. No words are needed to express the special love they have found together, but after several minutes, Gibbs softly chuckles; "God, I'm glad I built that window seat... but we need to invest in some seat cushions." Kate can't help but laugh as she kisses his brow and silently agrees.

* * *

The rest of the weekend is spent boxing up the remainder of Kate's belongings and moving everything from her apartment to their home. Some of the boxes could wait to be unpacked, at least until Kate decided what she wanted to keep, what got donated and what could stay in storage. The necessities, like the kitchen items, linens, and her clothing were put away with little discussion. The placement of the furniture was a bit more open to debate. Although Gibbs had told her she could bring in her furniture, he wanted some say in how it was placed in the rooms.

They moved it one way, talked about it, moved it again... talked some more until Kate finally threw a pillow at him in frustration. Gibbs just laughed and grabbed her around the waist, swinging her around and tossing her onto the new sofa. Flopping down on top of her, he pinned her down as he continued to press his point as to the placement of the furniture. In between kisses and nibbles, Kate allowed herself to be persuaded and finally agreed to part of his plan. He gave in on the other items and in the end they were both happy with the outcome. The biggest problem proved to be getting the old sofa down the basement stairs without killing one or both of them in the process.

Kate was fit and strong for a woman, with all the combat training she's done, but it was still a hard task to keep the sofa from crashing down the steep stairs and crushing Gibbs beneath it. With that task done, they were both too tired to even think about dinner so they ordered in pizza and collapsed in the living room in exhausted silence. They'd accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.

Kate knew tomorrow morning was going to be different, even if they both vowed to act the same at work. It wasn't Gibbs and Kate seeing each other on the side now... it was them, as a couple, living together... coming in to work together; and people were going to notice. She has no idea how to handle it and finally voices her concerns.

"Gibbs. What are we gonna do about work?"

"Have to do it. Guess we'll just do it same as we always have."

"We'll be coming in together, leaving together... people will notice. It's different now."

"You know I don't care if they find out. You wanna tell the team...well, McGee and Abby?"

"Yes, but I want to talk to Tony first. I wanna make sure we're all right before we do that. Maybe invite him over for dinner again... to thank him for helping get the house ready?"

There is a slight pause as Gibbs thinks about Tony's reaction to being invited for dinner after the last time. He strokes his hand through Kate's hair before he answers, "Okay... you want me to talk to him?"

"No, I'll do it. Now that I know why he's been acting the way he has... I think I need to do it." She turns to cuddle into his side a bit more, dropping a kiss on his lips as she settles down with a sigh. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I ask him what he thought of the last time."

* * *

Monday proved to be another slow day as they weren't up to catch the only case that came in. Elizabeth Jane Barrett's team got the call of the missing first lieutenant, who'd taken the Admiral's car to be washed and never returned. Tony sat at his desk, watching the other team gear up and head for the elevators; wishing he could head out with them. Not just because he was bored... he wanted any excuse to spend more time around E.J. In the short month she'd been back in D.C., he found himself intrigued with her tomboy toughness and eerie similarity to Gibbs in how she managed her team. Sure she had her quirks, like her OCD... insisting everything on her desk was exactly in its rightful place.

Tony even found that cute and looked forward to the times her team was out so he could sneak over there and move one item... maybe two out of place. Then he'd sit back and wait for her return, catching her at the elevator and walking with her back to her desk while they chatted about one case or another. She hated to let anyone know that it bothered her and tried to discreetly move everything back to its place without drawing attention. He also knew how much she hated her name and wanted to be known only as E.J., so he couldn't resist throwing her whole name out there every so often. Tony noticed all of her little quirks and loved this new game. He loved it so much he actually began to forget about Kate and his dilemma of only a couple of weeks ago.

Now as he leans forward in his chair, waiting until he saw the elevator numbers begin to flash down from three, to two... before he stood up and glanced around the room. Ensuring there would be no witnesses before he hurried around the partial wall barrier to Barrett's desk. He was so intent on finding some new item to move out of place that he was not aware that he'd been caught in the act.

"Tony! What are you doing?" Kate stood by his side with her hands on her hips, knowing he was up to his childish pranks again. She wasn't really angry, but from the way Tony jumped at being caught, her tone of voice had been just right.

He spun around to look at her, completely at a loss for an explanation that would make sense. He finally grinned his famous DiNozzo smile and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he leaned in to confide in her. "E.J's a neat freak. OCD to the max! Every time she leaves, I come over here and move something out of place on her desk."

"That's very mature, Tony. You know OCD is a serious condition and messing with someone who has it can be very stressful... very disruptive for them?" She is glaring at him, letting her silence tell him that his treatment of her had done the same thing.

Tony is about to brush off her scolding with a joke about the matter, but then he recalls his talk with Gibbs about how unappreciated his juvenile pranks were. He slowly sets the stapler back onto E.J.'s desk exactly where he found it and looks up at Kate with all the innocence he can muster. "You're right, Kate."

"I am." She steps closer to E.J.'s desk and picks up a report she had neatly stacked there. Tony watches as she slowly opens the folder and takes a few moments to flip some pages around so they were upside down. She then shuffles them all back into a neat pile and closes the folder, putting it back exactly where it had been. "But, luckily for us... E.J. isn't one to get stressed out... she just gets even."

Kate catches Tony's eye and grins at him as she spins around to head back to her desk before they get caught. Tony grins again, quickly moves the stapler back to the other position and follows after her. He stops in front of her desk, happy to find a co-conspirator in his little game.

"Kate... I gotta tell ya... I never expected you, of all people, to be up for a little practical joke."

"That's just because I'm that good, Tony... no one ever suspects me." Tony gives her a suspicious look, trying to decide if she's ever actually pulled any pranks before. Kate gives him a few hints, "Last year, Tim's Bird Dog tracking program? Abby's short circuiting lights last Halloween?"

"Wow! Those were you?! That dog barking every time Tim opened that program was fantastic!" He plops down on the edge of her desk, thrilled to be seeing this different side of her.

"So, have you ever pulled anything on me? I mean... I know I'm the master of pranks... and that makes me almost impervious to falling victim to them..."

"Dinner? Two weeks ago?" Kate need say no more as suddenly Tony's entire body tensed and he felt the redness creeping up his neck.

He had successfully been able to banish the visions of that night from his head, but now with her one softly spoken statement, it was all back in vivid color. He stands up and heads towards his own desk, not knowing how to respond to that.

"So... what did you think...?" Tony's head snaps around to meet her eyes and the sparkle in them tells him she is barely holding back the laughter. She tries to maintain her innocent expression as she stands up and comes to face him as she lowers her voice and adds, "... of the pasta I made?"

"Your... pasta?" Tony feels the room heating up and isn't sure if she is setting him up for some embarrassing insult about his voyeurism. He tries to make the connection between their pasta dinner and what happened later that night, but his mind is spinning.

"Yea. You being Italian and all... I wanted your opinion."

"Your pasta...? Really? That's what you're asking me?"

"I'm serious, DiNozzo. Your opinion is important to me. I know you consider yourself an expert."

Their eyes meet and hold for a long moment as he tries to find the hidden meaning in her eyes. She is careful to keep it hidden from him and he finally drops his eyes and shrugs as he finally answers, "Oregano."

"Oregano?"

"Yea, you use dried oregano. I always use fresh. It makes a big difference... but other than that it was good."

"Hhmm, okay." She casually turns away and returns to her desk, letting the matter drop... or so Tony believes as he sighs softly and plops down in his own chair. She shuffles some papers on her desk then looks up at him to softly add, "So... what did you think about the rest of the night?"

Tony is about to answer when another agent comes walking off the elevator and passes by their desks on the way to the back hallway. Tony lowers his head, pretending to work until he knows they are again alone. When he looks up, Kate is leaning on her hands staring at him intently, waiting for an answer. She doesn't appear angry... or upset, so he takes a chance that Gibbs told him the truth.

"It was... I get it... you and Gibbs... I should probably apologize..."

"The only thing you should be sorry for was drinking too much. We thought you were out cold after we put you to bed..." She stops to sit up and scan around the room to ensure they are still alone before she continues, "But Jethro said you were up again... literally."

She watches as Tony's face and neck turn red again as he lowers his gaze from hers and fiddles with some things on his desk. She hadn't meant to embarrass him so she comes across the aisle to perch on the corner of his desk right next to him. He jumps back at her sudden appearance in his peripheral vision and looks warily at her.

"Tony, it's okay. I'm not mad... Gibbs isn't mad. We're okay with it... really. I'm more concerned with how you're doing with it?"

"Me? Well..." he immediately starts to make a joke to hide his true feelings, but then he stops, looking into Kate's eyes he sees only sincerity so he takes a deep breath and offers an honest answer, "I admit... I was... interested. I mean... it was hot... you were hot! I couldn't look away."

"So... it wasn't Jethro's ass that had you so turned on? I think he's a little disappointed."

"Believe me... Gibbs was hot... he's a God... my idol... I wanna be just like him when I grow up... but you two... together..." His words trail off as he can't seem to find the words to express it any better. When he looks up, Kate is just smiling at him; understanding exactly what he meant.

"Tony, I like you... I really do... and I don't want this to ruin our friendship, okay?"

"Okay. So you don't hate me?" He begins to regain some of his former confidence.

"The frat boy crap, yea... that part I hate." She leans in to drop a light kiss on his cheek, then ruffles his hair as she stands up and heads back over to her own desk. Tony sits in awe, staring after her and wondering how he managed to dodge another beat down. Kate was not only acting like she forgave him... she seemed to actually like him again. Further confirmed when she begins typing on her computer and then casually adds, "So... you gonna come over for dinner this weekend and show me how real pasta is done?"

"Dinner? This weekend? At your place... I mean Gibbs' house... which is your place now. By the way, how do you like that color in the bedroom? I thought it was a bit too purplish... but kind of bluish..."

"Tony." He stops in mid-sentence, realizing he was rambling again and looks over at her. "Dinner? Saturday night?"

"Yea, sure, Kate. Dinner... and I'll show you a true DiNozzo family specialty." He grins over at her, and tweaks his imaginary mustache like the Italians did in the old movies.

Kate just smiles and shakes her head, realizing DiNozzo may never truly grow up, but he was damned cute and charming when he chose to be. She turns her attention back to her work and then decides to answer him about the paint issue. "And yes... I love the paint in the bedroom... when the sun is just coming up, through the bay windows it makes the whole room glow like the dawn."

Tony looks over to see the loving smile on her face as she continues to stare at her computer screen. He can't believe a paint color put that happy glow on her face, then realizes... it's not the paint, it was the thought Gibbs put into choosing that paint color that puts the glow there. He sighs and realizes he has lived his entire life believing he understood women and what they wanted... now he knows he has much to learn from his boss, the Zen Master of Love.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

By the time Saturday rolls around, Tony has come up with two dozen reasons why he has to cancel the dinner plans with Kate and Gibbs. None of them are real... in fact they were all lies, but thanks to Kate's reminder of his previous visit, it was all back in his head. In full Technicolor and Dolby Surround Sound, the images of them making love played across the screen in his mind. He still wasn't comfortable with what he'd witnessed, feeling like a peeping Tom... or worse yet, some kind of pervert who couldn't get off any other way. That had never been Tony's problem... he was a DiNozzo, after all.

He didn't actually hate himself for how he had responded to that scene, but he wasn't proud of himself either. What kind of man got off on watching his boss and his partner going at it? The kind of man who even now felt the stirrings of desire at the thought. Apparently, the kind of man Kate had no problem inviting to dinner again... which was weird, because she had always ripped his head off every time he pried into her personal life. Now she was talking about it like it was what they had for lunch yesterday and asking him to come over.

Which led to the creation of reason number twenty-five, why he should cancel for dinner tonight. What if this was another set up? What if Kate and Gibbs were setting him up like last time? But even he had to admit... seeing them having sex hadn't been part of their plan. At least he didn't think it was... they thought he was passed out in the spare bedroom. So, it might be safe to have dinner. Just a friendly night of cooking, beer and some pasta... good pasta made from the DiNozzo secret family recipe. After all, he had purchased all the ingredients and he loved to impress people with his skill in the kitchen. What could be the harm in dinner?

* * *

Tony hurries home after work to gather the necessary ingredients, his kitchen utensils and then head out to his favorite Italian bakery for a loaf of fresh bread. Most people thought French bread made the best garlic bread, but that wasn't true... Italian bakers made a round loaf, dense and rich, that put the crusty, hard French loaf to shame. If he timed it just right, he would have time to grab some beer, then show up as they were being removed from the oven. Part of his secret recipe was the perfect fresh bread, slathered with sweet creamery butter and fresh ground garlic and sea salt.

When he arrives at the bakery on West K Street, the aroma that hits him as he comes in the door is almost overwhelming. He stops inside the door and with closed eyes takes a long deep breath, as he did every time he came there. The shop is owned and operated by an elderly couple and as they look up, a smile creases their faces. Tony was such a good customer he was almost family and they could almost set their clocks by when he would show up... exactly five minutes after the bread came out of the oven. It couldn't be moved any sooner since the secret to good bread was to let it rest on the counter top and slowly cool to room temperature.

"Buon giorno."

"Ya, è bello vederti, Antony."

"Need one of your best tonight, Mama Katrina."

"You cooking for someone special, tonight, eh? A girl, perhaps?"

"In a way. I'm cooking for my boss and his girlfriend, who happens to be my friend... but not my girlfriend."

Mama Katrina laughs and shakes her head as she wipes her hands on her apron and goes to bag up a nice loaf of fresh bread for him. She and her husband discovered that Tony was not one to find a nice girl and settle down, so they quit hinting about it long ago.

With the warm bread filling his car with the scent of heaven, Tony drove to Gibbs' house, wondering how different it would look now that Kate had moved in and taken over. He half expected to see everything replaced with new, sheik faux distressed furniture from Restoration Hardware. As he pulls into the driveway, he gathers up his bags and kicks the car door shut with his foot. As he approaches the front door, he expects it to be open and uses his one free finger to press the latch and push as he steps forward; only to smash his groceries against the leaded glass window. The thud is heard inside and Gibbs soon appears to open the door wide to let him in.

"What's up with your door, boss? Almost turned our bread into a pita."

"Lock."

"On your door? A lock?"

"Installed it when Kate moved in." He takes one of the bags from Tony as the younger man gives him a strange look.

"For safety? Not like this is a bad neighborhood."

"Nope... keep people from walkin' in." He turns to walk towards the kitchen with Tony following along behind him.

"Ah... I get it... don't want me interrupting anything, huh?" Tony grins as Gibbs turns back to address his suggestive comment.

"Too late for that, don't ya think?" Gibbs can't help the playful smirk as DiNozzo blushes and suddenly darts past him to put his burden down on the kitchen counter.

Just then Kate comes down the stairs, having heard the voices and joins them in the kitchen. She looks relaxed and happy in a flowery summer dress. Tony can't recall ever seeing her look so petite, or so feminine before... she never dressed like this for work, that's for sure. His eyes dart back up to hers as she steps past him to peek into one of the bags.

"Hi, Tony... did you bring everything you need?"

"Ah, yea... even brought my kitchen stuff." He holds up his utensils, but when she shakes her head in amusement he puts them back in the bag. "But, of course... you have all of this stuff. I guess I was picturing Gibbs' kitchen like it used to be... barren."

"Hey, forks, knives, plates and glasses... and a can opener. What more do you need?" Gibbs holds out a cold beer to Tony and Kate, then keeps one for himself and places the rest of the pack in the refrigerator.

Tony and Kate chuckle at his version of a well stocked kitchen and turn back to begin unpacking the bags. Side by side, they lay out the ingredients to begin the lesson. Gibbs comes to lean over her shoulder, resting his chin there as one arm curls around her waist and the other around Tony's.

"Tony, you are making my favorite, aren't you? The one with pork, peppers and cream sauce.

"Of course... but you forgot my secret ingredient." He turns to grin at Gibbs, bringing their faces close together.

Gibbs holds his eye for a moment, then replies, "I didn't forget. I'll let you share your grandmother's secret with Kate." He pats Tony's hip, turns to Kate and gives her a quick peck on the cheek before stepping back to add, "I'll be in the basement."

Kate doesn't seem to notice how Tony has gone still beside her. He takes a long drag from his beer, trying to still his racing heart. What the hell just happened?! He looked into Gibbs' eyes and was stunned by the glint he saw there... a silent message between them that Tony didn't quite understand. And what was up with his arm around his waist... and that pat on his hip? Gibbs never touched him unless it was to head slap him for doing something stupid. A moment later, he realizes Kate is talking and apparently expecting an answer by the way she jabs him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Tony, you're supposed to be showing me... so, show me what you got." She turns to lean against the counter, facing him with a playful grin on her face.

Once again Tony feels like he's fallen through a rabbit hole and is in some alternate universe where everyone looks the same, but they don't act the same. He clears his throat and pulls himself together as he tries to focus on preparing his pasta.

"Okay... so, we'll need a very large skillet, a pot to cook the pasta and a cutting board to begin." He begins opening the packages as Kate moves to get the items he requested. When she returns he hands her the three peppers, red, yellow and green. "You good with a knife?"

"Yep... just tell me what size and I'll make it so, Obi Wan." She turns towards the kitchen island to begin her task and doesn't see his grin.

"Kate. Did you just mix up two movie references? Sweet!" Kate grins over her shoulder at him. "Half inch will be good and be sure to remove the ribs inside. I don't want any bitterness in my pasta."

With that, Kate deftly begins to core, seed and chop the peppers as instructed. Tony keeps watch over her shoulder while he empties the ground pork into the skillet and puts it on to cook. As they are working together, he gives her updates on what they will be doing next and why. When the peppers are chopped, he instructs her to add them to the pan so they can sauté in the pork grease for added flavor.

"Now those need to cook down for a little bit. Let's get the pasta water started... half full, yeah... and we add a good dose of... salt to the water." As he says this, Kate is already doing that and he grins, "I see you already know that secret."

"Salting the water isn't a secret, Tony... it's on every cooking show out there."

"My Nana Helena told me it was the most important part of cooking the pasta."

Kate again turns to lean on the counter beside him as she picks up her beer for a sip. Tony mirrors her stance and with his beer in his hand, she tilts her bottle forward to tap against his. "So did mine. Here's to grandmothers."

The silently toast their grandmothers and take a drink of their beers while they wait for the pasta water to boil. A comfortable silence settles between the two of them and for the first time a true friendship... and something more takes root. Kate notices the way his eyes keep straying to her dress, down to her legs and then back up again. She decides to take advantage of it while their dinner is simmering.

* * *

She crosses the room and flips the switch on a small stereo perched on a shelf by the back door. Soft jazz music fills the room and an instant smile comes to Tony's lips as Kate glides to the center of the room in a solo dance move. Once there, she continues to sway in time and it is obvious Kate has had some dance lessons. She remembers Tony bragging about his mother teaching him to dance and holds out her hand to him. He hesitates a moment, then grins and moves towards her, taking her hand as he moves into step with her. His hand curls around her back, holding her loosely as they dance around the kitchen, losing themselves in the music.

As they dance closer to the stove, Tony slows and reaches out to stir the meat and peppers, add some spices and then return his attention to Kate and their dance. On their next pass towards the stove in between songs, Kate reaches out to drop the pasta into the boiling water before being whisked around the room. The next song is a quicker beat and they easily shift gears as tony spins quickly three times, barely missing the cabinets.

Gibbs is just emerging from the basement and stops to watch them, smiling as he sees the delight on their faces. The beat increases until they are both laughing and finally collapse into a hug when the song ends. "This your secret ingredient, Tony?"

Tony jumps back from the embrace with a guilty glance over at his boss. Gibbs just grins and shakes his head, not concerned about them dancing together. Kate is flushed and smiling as she leans into Tony's side and tries to catch her breath. "Whew! That was fun."

"You should try it, Gibbs... it's very aerobic... I mean not in an aerobics sort of way, but in a cardio way like running." He realizes he is rambling and decides to just stop before he gets a well deserved head slap.

"Naw. Dancing and I don't get along. Got what my dad always called 'farmer's feet' cause I dig corn rows by dragging my feet." He steps up to Kate and gives her a quick kiss, then stops to look at the younger man. "You're pretty good though... your mom taught you well."

Tony is stunned as Gibbs just walks on by and goes to sniff in the pan of cooking food. He stirs it around a bit, then turns to ask, "Bout time for the secret ingredient part?"

"Almost. As soon as the pasta is just about done." Tony comes to sample one of the small wavy noodles, biting it carefully to test its texture.

"So your secret recipe has to do with the pasta?" Kate is curious and comes to stand between the two men, crowding in to the stove to see.

"Okay, let's pull the meat and peppers out of the pan..." He hands a bowl to Kate who holds It as he scoops the contents into it. "Cover that to keep it hot and lets crank up the heat for the secret."

Kate does as instructed and then returns to watch as Gibbs moves aside to grab another beer and watch. Tony carries the pasta to the sink, draining it quickly into a colander. Kate expects him to run water over it, but instead, he returns it to the skillet and dumps it into the hot oil and pork grease. As it sizzles, he quickly stirs it around, making sure all of it gets coated.

"Oh, my god... You finish up the pasta with sauté it in hot oil? That's your secret?"

"Yep. Just wait until you taste it." After it has sizzled in the hot oil for only a minute or two, Tony turns down the heat and removes the pasta to join the meat and peppers. Returning the pan to the stove, he gives his next instructions. "Okay, grab the seasonings, the ricotta cheese and the Philly and prepare to be amazed."

Kate grabs them and comes back to watch as Tony slowly blends them into the hot oil, which has cooked down to almost nothing. As he stirs in the thick contents, he scrapes the bits off the pan and incorporates them into the sauce until it is rich, creamy and bubbling.

"Now, we return the other stuff to the pan, add our fresh oregano and mix well... letting it simmer just long enough to toast the garlic bread."

"That smells wonderful! I'll do the bread if you'll turn the broiler on to low."

While they are busy, Gibbs gets out their plates, silverware and sets the table in the dining room. He never used to use the table for much except a working desk, but since Kate has moved in they have gotten into the habit of sitting down to dinner there. It meant more clean up than his usual paper plates, but having Kate to talk to while he ate made up for it.

"You two want another beer with dinner or something else?" They both call out beer in unison as they make the final preparations and dish up the meal. Gibbs grabs the bottles and takes them in to the dining room, knowing he would just be in the way in his small kitchen.

* * *

Dinner was served and quickly demolished by the three hungry people who couldn't seem to get enough of Tony's amazing Sicilian Pork pasta. The tension of the past month disappears and Tony is back to his happy, joking self. He keeps them entertained with his movie trivia, impersonations and stories. Kate adds a few stories of her own and even Gibbs joins in reluctantly, telling them about his teenage awkwardness. When the laughter finally dies down and the table is full of empty plates and bottles, Gibbs finally stands up to clear the table. Tony stands to help him, but is quickly stopped by Gibbs.

"No, go on... I'll take care of these. You cooked, remember? Go relax, both of you." He winks to Kate and then takes a load of dishes to the kitchen.

Tony is once again stunned by this different side of him and stares for a moment until he feels Kate's hand on his arm. "Come on, help me light a fire. I still don't have the hang of this whole fire place thing... especially one that burns real wood."

"What else would a fire place burn, Kate?" Tony teases her as he kneels to open the grate and prepare the fire.

"Propane, Tony. My apartment had a propane fireplace. You know, push a button a poof you have fire!"

"Wow... that's not very cavewoman-like of you... and here I thought a tough girl like you..." He sits back on his heels to reach for a couple of small logs for the grate.

Kate sits on the low hearth beside him to watch his progress. Her arms cross over her knees, leaning forward as she rests on them. She studies her partner and friend for a long time as he gets a small blaze going, then softly makes an admission Tony never thought he would hear.

"I admit I've led a somewhat... sheltered life, when it comes to some things... but that's changing now. Jethro is showing me a whole new world I've been too shy to explore until now."

Tony stops, his eyes on the flames that are steadily getting larger as the dry wood catches and burns. He doesn't know what to say... a joke? A question? Pretend he doesn't understand her meaning? His curiosity wins out and he finally turns to meet her eyes, "Really... and exactly what is our fearless leader showing this sheltered little Catholic girl?"

She hesitates, unsure how much she should reveal to him. She finally decides that in the light of their new friendship she should trust Tony, but she does so with a warning. "First, promise me you won't turn all juvenile and make me regret trusting you."

"Kate! How could you even think that?" Her glare answers that question. "Okay... so I may have been a little indiscreet about other details of your personal life in the past... but, that was only done out of love."

"And now?" She is serious and his smile fades away as he leans closer to her to give her his honest answer.

"Now, it's different. We're different... and you can trust me... like Gibbs... because he..." He fights hard to keep the grin off his face as she finally sighs and reveals this private information about her and Gibbs.

"He's... so different, Tony. So gentle and loving... but at the same time he can be demanding and rough. Even when I'm scared, because he's got me... I know he'll never hurt me. I always thought sex was just a little variation on the same quick, frenzied act... but with Jethro I've experienced more in these past months than in my whole lifetime."

"So he is the Zen Master of Love."

"Don't let him hear you say that!" She giggles and puts her hand on Tony's arm, letting it rest there for a long moment as their eyes hold. She calms down and continues, "He's... confident and experienced in things that make me blush, but it also makes me ache with desire. And... he's incredibly patient... even when I'm unsure."

"So... what's the best thing he's taught you, Katelyn... and you know what I mean." He raises an eyebrow at her sudden shyness, knowing her first tendency will be to lie to him. "Come on... you can't leave me hanging like this!"

"God... okay, probably... that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm still working on it, but no matter what we do, what he does to me... it's all good." She pauses to take a deep breath, knowing this is the moment of truth. "Like the night you saw us making love... I was mortified at first, but..."

"Kate, I told you I was sorry about that."

"No, Tony... it's all right. We talked about it and Gibbs made me see how erotic it was... and it turned me on... knowing you were there."

Tony doesn't know what to say, so he takes a moment to tend to the fire and close the grill before he looks back at her and shrugs. "Like I said... it was hot."

"I think about how hot it would have been if you hadn't walked away..." His eyes snap up to hers in surprise. "Come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it." She again reaches out to place her hand on his shoulder as she leans in closer.

"I... well, yeah... I mean... what guy doesn't think about that?" he is very nervous suddenly as Kate seems to have mysteriously moved closer. They are face to face now and the gentle pressure of her fingers on his shoulder causes him to stiffen.

She leans in even further, bringing her nose right to the tip of his as she looks him in the eye and lowers her voice to playfully whisper, "You're breathing awful hard, Tony... you thinking about it right now?"

Before he can respond to her outrageous statement, Kate tilts her head and slants her mouth across his; kissing him with a teasing caress that tugs at his lower lip. Without conscious thought his mouth chases after those retreating lips, seeking out the soft temptation that too quickly disappeared. His mouth captures hers, drawing her back for another kiss as his hand curls up around her neck. Kate sighs softly as they spend a few moments exploring this new sensation.

It is Tony who pulls away first, shock showing in his eyes as if he suddenly realized he was kissing her. He stands up, needing to put some distance between himself and the fire... or the woman sitting next to it. Because one of them had his blood suddenly boiling and the room just became a sauna. He darts a quick glance over at the kitchen, but the sound of water running in the sink tells him Gibbs is still dealing with their dinner dishes. He feels a hand on his chest and looks down to see Kate standing in front of him with a smirk on her face.

"Hey... it's okay... at least, I thought it was okay." She is teasing him and he finally forces his mind to focus on her words.

"Okay? Not exactly how I would have described it..." He falls back on his humor to cover his nervousness. "After all, DiNozzo men have never been referred to as 'okay' when it comes to women."

"Well, I wouldn't want to be too quick to judge... probably need more to make an informed decision." Her hand once again curls up around his neck, gently drawing him down to her.

Tony's eyes dart once more over her shoulder towards the kitchen door, but there is no sign of Gibbs. He resists only a moment before he blocks out the many ways Gibbs could kill him and gives in to the one thing he's wanted ever since Kate came to work with them. His juvenile pranks had all been just his way of covering his attraction to Kate while allowing him to get close to her. Now there was no need for humor as his hands glide up her arms, gripping her shoulders as he pulls her closer. Their lips meet again, tentatively at first, still not sure of this new freedom, but each kiss becomes more confident. Pulling, sucking and demanding, their lips duel until her tongue glides gently over his lip.

A soft groan escapes his throat as his mouth opens, teeth crashing together in his urgency to claim the sweetness she offers. His tongue is impatient and erratic until a hand settles along his jaw, calming his urgency and focusing his desire. She returns his kisses, twining her tongue with his in long, deep strokes that leave them breathless. Each kiss blends into the next and they are lost to everything but this moment as her arms glide around his waist, her body molding to his.

Tony's mind is a blank except for the overwhelming desire to taste more, touch more, feel more... and her hands raking up and down his back are causing tremors to streak down his spine. She moans softly into his mouth and her whole body presses more firmly against his. A slight thrust of her hips surprises him... Kate really had gotten over her shyness. When fingers glide up his neck, fluttering through his thick hair in a gentle caress, Tony senses something different. There are three hands caressing his body... and he was pretty sure none of them belonged to him.

He breaks the kiss and pulls back just far enough to come face to face with Gibbs. The older man has come up behind Kate, pressing his body against her and sandwiching her in between them. It is his hand on the back of Tony's neck, gently stroking his fingers through his hair. Tony is so stunned and tries to jerk back, but the hand holds him in place. All he can do is stare as Gibbs slowly tilts his head to nibble seductively on Kate's earlobe. A breathless moan has Tony looking down at her; eyes closed; mouth open. Gibbs nips her ear, forcing another soft moan from her before he brings his eyes up to meet the younger man's once more. A slight smile curves the corner of his mouth as Tony feels the hand on the back of his neck; guiding his mouth down towards Kate's other ear.

With sudden clarity, Tony understands why they hadn't been upset when he watched them having sex. His heart is suddenly pounding in his chest at the feel of Gibbs' hand, guiding his mouth to Kate's neck. He isn't sure which is more erotic... having Kate helplessly moaning between them or having his' hand guiding him like that. Gibbs holds Kate still with his other hand on her hip, growling softly to her as Tony drops his lips over the rapid pulse point of her throat. His kisses resume, moving up nibble on her ear and Kate moans loudly in sensory overload when both men begin nibbling on her from opposite sides.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Gibbs turns her head into his kiss, causing her to moan softly as her hands fist into Tony's shirt. Tony is fascinated by their deep kiss until if finally ends and Kate turns back to him. Her fingers curve up to urge his head down and he complies, and there is no hesitation as Tony kisses her long and hard, pressing her head back onto Gibbs' chest with the force of his desire. Tony feels Gibbs' rough hands moving down his arms, covering his hands with his larger calloused ones. Guiding them down to Kate's hips; pressing them firmly to her soft, rounded curves. Grinding his hard erection against her with Tony's hands under his, holding her still, causes Kate to gasp softly and break the kiss.

Her eyes meet Tony's with smoky desire as he holds her firmly; following instructions as always, eager to please Gibbs. And it never occurs to him that this was far outside the realm of his duties to watch Gibbs' six. For that matter, it was far outside his wildest fantasies to even be here, with the two of them. He is more than a little excited by this new game as her hand glides down his chest to find his hard cock pressing into her belly. A husky groan escapes him as her hand strokes slowly over his tight jeans as her other hand is behind her back, stroking Gibbs at the same time.

"Mmmnnn... two hard cocks... one for each hand." His mouth hangs open as if words are there, but refusing to come out. Not quite sure if commenting about her stroking them together was such a good idea, but when she gives each a firm squeeze, their mutual groan of pleasure says it all. Gibbs again lifts his mouth from her neck to see Tony watching him. His hands curve up to scoop her breasts into his palms, kneading gently as his thumbs find her nipples. Tony is glad of the distraction to lower his eyes, finding the older man's hands less distracting than those intense blue eyes. Not wanting to pursue his thoughts of what it would be like to be kissed by the older man... even though it was kind of turning him on.

With Kate writhing between them as they thrust gently against her hands, Tony slides his hands up along Kate's sides, dragging her dress up with them. When his hands collide with Gibbs, his reluctantly release their hold on Kate's breasts to allow the fabric to be drawn up and over her head. She moans softly when the calloused hands once again find her aching breasts through the thin barrier of her black lace bra. Gibbs leans into whispers huskily, "Like this... don't you, Kate?"

"Yes..." She moans as her head once again falls back on his shoulder and her eyes meet Tony's. He is so lost in the moment, watching Kate lose herself in the pleasure that he doesn't notice when Gibbs' hand suddenly gives his nipple a playful pinch through his t-shirt. Tony lets out a strangled yelp as he his eyes widen in momentary confusion when he realizes what Gibbs just did. Even more confusing was how it made his manhood twitch in response. His gaze is frozen on Gibbs' as his calloused hand slips down, dangerously close to his tight jeans, then comes back up underneath his t-shirt. Once again finding his hard flat nipple, Gibbs gently rolls his nipple in the same motion as his other hand is doing to Kate's.

Watching him caressing them both so gently with his rough hands, Tony unconsciously licks his lips; wanting something, but not sure what. Gibbs brings him out of his trance as he quietly gives him something to focus on. "Tony..." Their eyes meet again, "... take your shirt off."

Tony yanks his shirt up and off with one hand, exposing his hairy chest and Kate moans appreciatively and leans in to let her lips replace Gibbs' hand. Bringing another soft groan from the younger man as she nibbles on the flat nub. Gibbs makes quick work of Kate's bra and panties, then his own shirt joins the pile on the floor. With his hands back on Kate's breasts, holding them up as he gives a slight inclination of his head to Tony, offering them to him.

The younger man hesitates, then slowly lowers his head, kissing her soft skin of her neck on his way down. Gibbs stops his caress, cupping her breast and lifting it to meet Tony's mouth. When he reaches his goal, a tremor races through her at the intense heat of his mouth devouring her nipple. She arches back into Gibbs as her hands reach back to grasp his hips for support. Tony mauls her, nipping and suckling hungrily, but wanting so much more as he gives equal attention to both. Gibbs watches her reaction as he whispers in her ear, "Want that, Kate... his hot mouth on your skin?"

She moans in reply and her hands grip Gibbs' hips, pulling him hard against her ass in a silent plea for what she really wants. Tony glides his hands gently up her sides, pressing his thumbs into each rib until they curve around her firm breasts, replacing the older man's hands. He kneads them as his mouth peppers kisses across the ivory satin skin of her chest, moving up to her throat with a rough growl, "God you're beautiful..." So lost in the exploration of the treasure he's found, Tony is surprised when a calloused hand finds his own and tweaks it again. "Oh fuck..."

Gibbs chuckles and brings his hand up to curve around Tony's neck, holding him as he leans in close to huskily order, "Sit back..." He slowly pushes the younger man back until he is resting on the arm of the sofa, unsure if he's being asked to sit out for a while or they are just moving to the next step. He sits there taking deep breaths as his heart threatens to leap out of his chest, but instead of continuing to amaze him with her talented mouth as Gibbs had indicated, Kate now turns to face Gibbs, giving him her full attention.

Wrapping her arms around his waist to draw him in for a hot, passionate kiss as Gibbs' hands arch down over her ass, gripping the firm globes as he presses her into his hips. When the kiss slowly ends, Kate steps back to undo Gibbs' jeans, sliding them and his boxers down his legs so he can step out of them. Kneeling before him, her gaze comes back up to his in anticipation. His hand curls into her hair as he guides her mouth to his hard cock just inches in front of her. She gladly complies, taking his thick shaft into her mouth with a moan and her hand curves around the base as her mouth eagerly glides over him. His eyes close on a low groan as he is momentarily lost in the pleasure of the moment. "Mmmnnn... amazing..."

Tony's hand finds its way to his throbbing cock, undoing his jeans and pulling it out as he had once before, but this time he hopes he will be allowed to do more than watch. When Gibbs' eyes open they meet the younger man's and the blatant desire there is clear. Gibbs growls reluctantly and eases Kate back as he draws her up to stand before him. His mouth finds hers for a quick harsh kiss before he turns her to once again face Tony, whose hand has stilled around his cock. Kate steps up to kiss him deeply and Tony has a brief thought that it should bother him to kiss her after she just sucked Gibbs' cock... but then he realizes... it doesn't. He groans softly as his tongue plunges into her mouth in search of her unique flavor and now that of his boss.

Kate's hands make quick work of his jeans as he raises his hips to help her slide them down until they are pooled around his ankles. When she finally ends the kiss, her eyes meet his as her hand strokes slowly up the length of his shaft. He sees her hesitation, waiting for him to grant her permission, and he finally finds his voice as he roughly whispers, "Kate... suck my... Ohh... GOD!"

Before he can even finish his words, Kate's head drops with purpose to find the hot, sensitive head of his cock. She kneels on the sofa, leaning on his thighs as she takes a moment to explore this new treat. Tony is not as thick as Gibbs', but similar in length and she moans as her tongue glides around the satiny knob before drawing it into her mouth. Tony's head falls back and his hips arch up to meet her mouth as it engulfs him. His eyes are closed and his hands grip the sofa in a desperate attempt to keep himself grounded as he tries hard to keep from coming too soon. Her mouth was... as Gibbs said, 'amazing' and it isn't until she moans huskily and grips his thighs more firmly that he finally opens his eyes.

What he sees causes his hips to jerk and his hand quickly finds the base of his cock, squeezing back the climax that suddenly threatens to overtake him. His eyes latch onto the intense blue of Gibbs, who is behind Kate with his hands spread out over her hips, thrusting his cock into her, slow and steady. Kate moans again as she lets Tony's cock slide from her lips so he can calm down a bit. She focuses her attention a bit lower and scoops his balls up for a gentle caress with her tongue; which has Tony's hand curling into her hair as he pants hard for control.

Kate has trouble concentrating on what she is enjoying more... Gibbs behind her or Tony in front of her. She knows she won't last long as her belly is already swirling with that elusive pleasure and it would only take one touch, one taste, one thrust to set her spiraling out of control. She brings her mouth back up, claiming the hot shaft and bringing a rough groan from its owner. She wants to make this last, for all of them, but then Gibbs begins to thrust harder, letting her know who is in control. His hands pulling her back onto his cock, then pushing her forward onto Tony's cock sets up the rhythm that has both men groaning loudly.

Gibbs controls the pace, his thrusts coming faster as he watches the younger man's face. Tony once again has his head back, eyes closed as he thrusts his hips up in rhythm with them. It doesn't take long before Tony arches up, his fingers fisting in Kate's hair as he holds her head close and cries out as the intense orgasm rocks him. Gibbs momentarily slows, panting hard as he watches her swallowing quickly and pumping his pulsing cock for more. When Tony finally collapses, breathless and too stunned to support himself, his body slides down onto the sofa. This brings him face to face with the woman who just rocked his world, but he doesn't have the strength to open his eyes. Gibbs smirks and gently strokes his hand up her back, easing her forward until she is leaning into Tony; braced against the sofa with her arms on either side of his head.

Gibbs finally gives in to his own aching desire and once again grips her hips as he thrusts hard and deep. Kate moans huskily, panting with each thrust as his demanding cock fills her; stretching her to take it all in. Tony has finally regained some sanity and opens his eyes to see Gibbs looming above them, his eyes glittering intensity as he gives in to the animal within. Awed by the spectacle of dominating Gibbs, Tony is overcome with the need to feel his power. His hands come up to Kate's ribs, framing her as she rocks forward with the force of each thrust.

Caught up in the moment as if he were the one fucking her, Tony's mouth finds her throat, nipping her hard as he roughly growls, "Mmmnnn... feels so good..."

He finds her breasts next, cupping them as he rolls her nipples roughly until she cries out. "Aahh... yes... yes!" Her body arching back as she brings her throbbing nipple to his mouth. Tony latches on to it, sucking hard as his teeth clamp down and wave after wave of intense pleasure washes through her, ricocheting back and forth between Tony's mouth and Gibbs' hard thrusting cock. Gibbs jerks her back hard one last time, burying himself deep inside her; growling harshly as the explosive climax stuns him. His body stays rigid, gritting his teeth until he is finally able to draw in a ragged breath. His muscles finally release in a tremor that starts in his neck and moves quickly down to his legs, leaving him weak and unable to stand. He leans heavily over Kate's back, pressing them both down onto the couch until Kate is once again trapped in between the two men. None of them have the energy or desire to move and for long minutes and all that can be heard is heavy breathing and occasional moans as they slowly drift back to the awareness of where they are and what just happened.

She lays limply against Tony's chest with Gibbs draped across them both, weighing them down into the cushions. Gibbs finally shifts his weight to the side, giving Kate some room to breathe and get comfortable, but she whimpers softly and pulls him back. "Don't move... not yet..."

He tenderly kisses her shoulder and lowers his weight back onto her, pressing her back into DiNozzo. He groans playfully, having recovered his sense of humor again and teases the man who forever has been changed in his eyes. "So... does this mean you like my Sicilian Pasta?"

Kate giggles tiredly against his neck, but Gibbs isn't so ready to turn their experience into a joke. Without looking up from Kate's shoulder, he raises one hand and gruffly grumbles, "DiNozzo... do... not... make me head slap you..."

Kate giggles again and grabs the raised hand to bring it down under her control. She presses his hand to Tony's chest and covers it with her own. They lay there quiet for a moment unsure how comfortable they are with their new closeness... until Kate makes it perfectly clear.

"It was perfect... all of it... even the pasta." She presses a gentle kiss to Tony's chest, then lifts Gibbs' hand to do the same on his palm. Both men answer with a contented sigh as they relax and let their eyes drift shut.

* * *

After napping on the sofa in a jumbled tangle of bodies, Tony had woken first, needing to relieve himself and wondering how he was going to disentangle himself from the other two without waking them. As it worked out, a slow twisting of his hips rotated the pile until he could slip out and Gibbs and Kate landed on their sides in a comfortable position. Tony took care of his business and then returned to watch them sleeping as he found his clothing and slipped it back on.

He covered them with a blanket and then sat there for a while thinking about what had happened. They had gone far beyond the boundaries of co-workers, partners and bosses that evening, but Tony still felt there was an invisible barrier there. They were still a couple and he was... well, what was he exactly? He could definitely say his friendship with Kate had improved immensely. His relationship with Gibbs was certainly on a different plain, but were they friends? Was he now on an equal level with his boss? Or had Gibbs just brought him into a different version of their work dynamic?

Maybe it was all in his head... after all, he had a lot happen and he needed time to process everything. He quietly heads for the door being careful not to wake them as he makes his exit. Once outside he pauses by his car, giving one last look back to the house and knowing he'll never again come here without the memories of tonight. Driving home his mind is strangely blank, which is something that has never happened to him before. He can't recall one movie quote to describe it... not one cinematic reference... not similar scene came to mind. His mind was a blank slate...

As he steps inside his apartment, he stops and looks around her private sanctuary. This was the place he came to be himself... where he didn't have to pretend to be happy all the time. Then it dawns on him... he is happy. He has just experienced something completely new and unique to his world... and it makes him happy.. He lets this thought settle into his brain, not trying to compartmentalize it as he does most things in his life... and a smile slowly creeps onto his face. Maybe that was how he should take their new relationship, as its own entity, and not try to pigeon-hole it into something else. Tony strips down and showers before climbing into bed before he allows his mind to scroll back over the events of the previous evening... and surprisingly he drifts off into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

Over the rest of the weekend things are quiet at the house, Kate and Gibbs having awoken to find Tony gone. At first Kate had worried that he was upset and they should call him... go talk to him; something to ensure he was not upset about their night together. Gibbs had calmed her down, explaining the male prerogative to go into their caves when they needed time to think about something. He knew Tony well enough to know this was going to take him some time to adjust to... and nothing would scare him off quicker than pressuring him to talk about it too soon. Kate reluctantly agreed, but she was still worried. They spent a peaceful weekend lazing around the house and doing some fall yard work, knowing they'd have their answer come Monday morning.

* * *

Monday morning seemed to take forever to arrive and Kate found herself curiously anxious to see Tony again. She wasn't sure how Gibbs felt about it, since he rarely showed anything other than his normal steadfast persona at work. She glances over at him as they enter the elevator, wondering if she dared ask him what he was feeling. His eyes stay focused on the door, but he lets out a slight sigh and answers her unspoken question.

"He'll be fine, Kate... don't worry about it."

"But what if...?" She doesn't get a chance to second guess his answer as he suddenly leans over and gives her a quick kiss before the doors open to the bullpen. He walks briskly out ahead of her, leaving her shocked by his kiss... which he'd strictly forbidden at work previous to this morning.

When she finally follows him out, she finds him standing at his desk, looking at it strangely. She stops beside him and is about to speak when he slowly points to her desk. She looks at it and sees a plain white envelope lying there, neatly addressed to her in Tony's distinctive script. She looks to Gibbs' desk and sees an identical envelope addressed to him. She looks from the envelopes to Gibbs and then back before she steps over to grab the one from her desk. She turns it over in her hands, seeing nothing to give her a clue as to its contents. Gibbs picks up his envelope and with a quick glance between them, they tear them open. Reading in unison the identical hand written pages, they don't notice Tony approaching from the back hallway.

He had been restless and eager to get to work this morning after his long weekend of contemplation. He got in just after five o-clock and placed the envelopes on their desks before going down to work out for an hour in the gym. Now freshly showered and ready for business in his trademark Armani suit and imported Italian shoes, he enters the bullpen to see them examining their identical posts.

"Oh, hey guys! Figured things would be hectic today... you know Monday and all." He stops behind them, leaning in to bring his head between theirs as they both turn to look at him in confusion. "Oh, those... well, figured Saturday went pretty well so I thought we could do it again sometime... maybe hang out at my place while I show off more of my culinary skills you seem to like so much."

With a grin and a waggle of his eye brow, Tony turns away and heads back to his desk to begin his day. Gibbs and Kate are still a bit surprised, glancing down at the invitations in their hands once more before looking up to smile at each other. Gibbs gives her a wink and Kate sighs in relief as they have their answer. Tony was not only all right with how their evening had gone, but he appeared to be anxious to repeat it... and soon. Kate folds her invitation back into the envelope as Gibbs does the same and they casually return to their desks, without another word.

Kate takes a moment to sign on her computer, before glancing up to see Tony and Gibbs looking at each other intently. Tony's eyes move over to hers and he gives her one of his DiNozzo Million dollar smiles, "Isn't this just a beautiful day?!"

She can't hold back the happy laugh as she shakes her head and accepts the fact that Tony was probably going to be more obnoxious than ever now. Gibbs just smirks and lowers his head as McGee comes walking off the elevators and heads for his desk.

After putting his backpack down, McGee signs on his computer and then looks up to assess his co-workers. It was not unusual for them to all be in the office before him, but something was definitely different this morning. He looks from one to the other, trying to decide if there was some hidden prank about to be sprung on him again. That was also an uncommon occurrence and he suspiciously glances around his desk in search of the trap. "Okay... what is it? You didn't super glue my keyboard... not exploding foam...?"

Gibbs hides a smirk and picks up his phone on the first ring, glad of the distraction to keep Tim from seeing that his usually stoic boss was a bit too happy this morning. The call is from their dispatcher, advising them of a new case... a seaman found dead at the dock, not far from his ship. Gibbs hangs up the phone and stands up with his usual bark, "Grab your gear!"

He stops beside Tim's desk as the young man grabs his backpack and then gives his desk one last suspicious look. "... and stop looking for goblins, Tim. It's Monday, the sun is shining... and we got a case... what could be wrong?"

McGee starts to follow after his boss as Gibbs moves briskly towards the elevator, but then he catches the conspiratorial glance that passes between Tony and Kate and his steps falter. That was the final clue... Gibbs was too happy, Tony and Kate were getting along... something was definitely up! And knowing from history, their amusement was probably going to be at his expense. He sighs and gives his desk one last worried glance before he hurries to make it into the elevator before the doors close.


End file.
